ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows how Richard Wright emulated Theodore Dreiser in portraying American life. It suggests that Wright read Dreiser’s short story “Nigger Jeff” before writing “Big Boy Leaves Home.” The book demonstrates an interacting relationship between Gwendolyn Brooks and T. S. It shows not only Frank Marshall Davis’s activities in Chicago but his influences on the young Barack Obama. The book discusses the innovative writings of Clarence Major and Leon Forest. Forrest and Major, two experimental African American writers, began their careers two decades after the Black Chicago Renaissance. The book argues that the youngest African American novelist has created a perspective far different from his predecessors. It analyzes Wright’s discourse on Spanish culture, history, and politics. The book also argues that Ellison’s characterization of Invisible Man and Trueblood bears a strong influence of Zen philosophy.
