Nobody Knows My Name

Contains essays that describe what it means to be black in America. This book describes the tragedies that are inflicted by racial segregation and presents a poignant account of the author's first journey to 'the Old Country', the Southern states. ''These essays . . live and grow in the mind'' James Campbell, IndependentBeing a writer, says James Baldwin in this searing collection of essays, requires ''every ounce of stamina he can summon to attempt to look on himself and the world as they are''. His seminal 1961 follow-up to Notes on a Native Son shows him responding to his times and exploring his role as an artist with biting precision and emotional power: from polemical pieces on racial segregation and a journey to ''the Old Country'' of the Southern states, to reflections on figures such as Ingmar Bergman and André Gide, and on the first great conference of African writers and artists in Paris. ''Brilliant. . accomplished. . strong. . vivid. . honest. . masterly'' The New York Times''A bright and alive book, full of grief, love and anger'' Chicago Tribune