LITR 4332 American Minority Literature UHCL 2002 sample student research project

Valerie Jensen
26 November 2002

The Rise of African American Literature

Throughout history African Americans have made many contributions to the literary world. For many black authors, the road to becoming a well-known writer has been long and winding. With the help of some renowned people, authors, book clubs, historical figures and eager publishers, African Americans have had the road cleared for a sought after spot on the bestseller list. There is much to be learned when researching the topic of African Americans and their rise in literature. I wanted to focus my project on a few influential people that have attributed to its rise in popularity. I was also interested in hearing from some authors who have struggled to have their work published and how they overcame that hurdle. I have learned through my research that there are more venues for black authors than ever before. I have learned that the people I have chosen to look at in detail have overcome great odds to do what they do now. By assimilating, especially in their early lives, they have become very notable and prominent figures in the world of African American literature today. Their influences have brought about more opportunities for black voices to be heard and will continue to clear the path for up and coming black authors of the future.

The history of African American literature is full of stories of triumph and inspiration. Many stories encompass rising above the humiliation that was brought on by prejudice. These stories are an important part of African American history as well as our history as Americans.

Having its origins in the slave narratives and folktales, which were passed orally during that time period, the literature of African Americans has been rich and varied. Beginning with one of the first published works of fiction, Clotel in 1853, continuing under the influence of W.E.B. Du Bois during this same century, and reaching one of its highest points during the Harlem Renaissance, major contributions have been made to African American literature (African American Literature). Today, black writers such as Tony Morrison, Maya Angelou and Teri McMillan are recognized as some of the most significant and popular authors in this country.

Several names come to mind when describing stories of overcoming defeat. People such as Frederick Douglass, who was a slave in the 1800’s, overcame the odds of learning to read and write and in 1845 published his life story, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. It was a bestseller! Douglass wanted to show the brutality of slavery and how it destroys the spirit of not only the slave but the slave owner as well. His own courage and achievements can be seen in his book. Also, Olaudah Equiano, who like Frederick Douglass, wrote his own narrative about the slave experience. Equiano’s narrative was one of the first attempts by an African American writer to try and assimilate within the Western culture’s world of literature. These two people have risen above slavery and became better people as a result all the while encouraging future generations. Their voices have contributed later in history to civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and former Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. These people who influence others continue to inspire down the line. The history of African American literature allows for people to see the dream that blacks had during their lives.

Today, African American literature is at one of its highest levels of popularity. With the influences of Frederick Douglass, Olaudah Equiano, W.E.B. Du Bois and many others, generations over one hundred years later share their voice of inspiration through biographical works and works of fiction and non-fiction. In the mid 1990’s, one of the most enterprising and promising events began. In 1996, Oprah Winfrey started a book club in hopes of getting the country excited about reading again. Oprah herself came from a difficult childhood and like her ancestors, used her past experiences to rise above and encourage others. Oprah’s past involved being molested, running away from home and dealing with issues of race. Oprah was discouraged from reading as a child and would try and sneak books when no one was looking. She became one of the first black women news anchors and in 1986, started the Oprah Winfrey Show (Johnson 44). Today, it is the highest rated syndicated talk show on television (Nicholson 95). Since the beginning of Oprah’s Book club, Oprah has focused on many authors who were practically unheard of until she mentions their name. By saying Oprah has helped to increase the popularity of reading by African Americans is an understatement. At the mention of a book title, hundreds of thousands of people marched down to Barnes and Nobel and spent $20-$50 on a hard cover book. Her power to influence the most reluctant reader is amazing. Within the six-year run of Oprah’s Book Club she has had some impressive statistics as a result.

48 – Total number of Oprah’s Book Club selections
48 – Number of selections that became best sellers
110,000 – Copies of House of Sand and Fog in print before selection
1.7 million – Copies of House of Sand and Fog in print after selection
500,000 – Lowest number of books sold after being featured
More than 1 million – Highest number of books sold after being featured
35 – Number of Oprah’s selections written by women
15 – Number of Oprah’s selections written by men (Lacaya 52)

Below is a list of Oprah’s Book Club Library

Back Roads by Tawni O’Dell

The Best Way To Play by Bill Cosby*

Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison*

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat*

Cane River by Lalita Tademy*

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwartz

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou*

Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio

Jewel by Bret Lott

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines*

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton

The Meanest Thing to Say by Bill Cosby*

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes

Open House by Elizabeth Berg

Paradise by Tony Morrison*

The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke*

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison*

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy

The Treasure Hunt by Bill Cosby*

Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay

A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage

Where the Heart is by Billie Letts

While I Was Gone by Sue Miller

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

* - denotes African American author

(Oprah’s book club library).

Two of the authors on Oprah’s list have become literary icons for future black authors. Toni Morrison has had four books featured on Oprah’s Book Club. Morrison has received awards such as the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for her book, Beloved and a Nobel Prize for writing in 1993 (Hansen 21).

Toni Morrison, born Chloe Anthony Wofford is one of the most celebrated and successful writers in the United States. While growing up, Morrison’s parents passed on to their children the African American oral traditions of folktales, Br’er Rabbit stories, stories about Africans who could fly, ghost stories, humor, and African American language and music. All of these elements have found their way into her novels. Morrison’s parents also taught her how to read and write at an early age. When she was only a teenager, she read many Russian and English classics, which also influenced her future work. She graduated from high school with honors and attended Howard University where she graduated with a degree in English. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in English at Cornell University in 1955. Though she taught college and was raising a family, writing was always important to her. By 1964, she was a divorced single mother with two sons. She worked as a textbook editor during the day and wrote at night. Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye, is set in her hometown of Lorrain, Ohio and tells the story of a black girl who thinks if she has blond hair and blue eyes, she will be accepted and loved (Hansen 21). Morrison uses her powers of storytelling and is actually telling a tale of race, the clash of cultures and the damaging results to the mind of a young girl. Toni Morrison went on to write six other novels that touch at the heart of the African American experience of assimilation and resistance. Morrison says, “When I wrote Sula”, her second novel, “I knew I was going to write a book about good and evil and about friendship.” (Hansen 21). The books that came next, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Beloved, Jazz and Paradise explore the history, culture and folklore of African Americans. All of Morrison’s books except Tar Baby, Beloved and Jazz were featured on Oprah’s book club. Oprah says of Morrison “she is the greatest living American writer male or female, white or black.”(Johnson 44).

Another author that has overcome and is considered one of the most if not the most influential black women today is Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou is a poet, historian, author, actress, playwright, civil rights activist, producer, director and teacher. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 and was raised in a segregated part of Arkansas. She has published ten best- selling books and numerous magazine articles earning her Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominations (Shapiro 40). She also delivered a poem at the request of President Bill Clinton at his 1993 presidential inauguration. In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, the first of her five autobiographies, Maya Angelou begins to talk about her life. When she was seven, her voice was silenced by a terrible experience and she stopped speaking. With the help of her grandmother who raised her and a teacher who recognized Maya’s talent for literature, Maya found her voice again. She graduated from her segregated school at the top of her class. At the age of 13, Maya went to live with her mother in California. By the age of 16, she had a child of her own (Hansen 19). Maya considers her son the greatest gift she has been given. She knew that when he was born, she knew more than him and expected to be his teacher. “When he was four…..I taught him to read. But then he’d ask questions, and I didn’t have the answers, so I started my lifelong love affair with libraries…”(Hansen 19). Maya felt that society had defined her as something she did not want to be, so she decided to re-invent herself. She studied dance, traveled, and spent time working as a journalist in the 1960’s. She was nominated for an Emmy award for her performance in Roots and has also received 12 honorary doctorates. Maya Angelou’s message is simply to rise above and not be defeated. She continues to rise today along with many people whom she has influenced.

During my research, I saw how important just these two women were and continue to be for writers today. But I also saw another side to how their work is perceived. As much as we hope for peace in our society, the issue of race can still be seen today. In Maryland, Maya Angelou’s book, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Toni Morrison’s book, Song of Solomon were both banned from English classes. The books were argued to be anti-white and trash by some parents. According to a Maryland public school teacher, “Both books are modern classics in African American literature, if we forget the past we will not recognize the rich history we have today.” (Maryland schools ban…)

With the challenges that many African American authors have faced throughout their lives, how difficult has it been for them to promote their books? With more African American authors than ever, it has been interesting hearing from authors as to how their books are getting recognized.

As recently as 12 years ago, many manuscripts were being rejected by editors at publishing houses saying, “blacks don’t read.” (Abbott 19). Now with the breakthrough of books by African American authors, the different ways publishers are promoting books are interesting. There are many mainstream publishers that have been around for years such as HarperCollins, Random House, Kensington, Hyperion, Warner Books and Simon & Schuster. Many of these publishers have begun introducing imprints directed towards an African American audience. In 1999-2000 seven imprints were brought about. Three of the imprints are at Random House; Strivers Row, One World Books and Harlem Moon. The other four are Dafina Books at Kensington Publishing, Amistad Press at HarperCollins, Jump at the Sun at Hyperion and Walk Worth Press at Warner Books. Most recently HarperCollins has added HarperTrophy to its list (Jackson 24). These publishers encompass a diverse category of subjects. Dafina Books and Harlem Moon produce fiction and nonfiction books, while Jump at the Sun focuses on children’s books and Walk Worthy Press began publishing Christian themed novels in September of 2000. Due to the popularity in African American literature many other publishing companies targeted at black authors have been created. These companies are independent from the mainstream publishing houses but have begun to create a market of their own:

African American Images

Bebop Books

Beckham Publications Group

Black Belt Press

Black Classic Press

Black Orchid Lit. Agency

BlackWords

F.Y.O.S.

Hilton Publishing

Kujichagulia Press

La Caille Nous

Meroen Press

Moore Black Press

Ms. Frosty Publishing

Pines One Publications

Quantum Leap Publisher

ReGeJe Press

Runagate Multimedia

Sadorian Publications

Thirs World Press

U.B. & U.S.

University of Pittsburgh Press

Blackboard

(Publishers)

HARDBACK FICTION

God’s Gift to Women by Michael Baisden

A Love of my Own by E. Lynn Harris

P.G. Country by Connie Briscoe

Gonna Lay Down my Burdens by Mary Monroe

Autumn Leaves by Victor McGlothin

Jim and Louella’s Homemade Heart-Fix Remedy by Bertice Berry

Bliss by Gabrielle Pina

PAPERBACK FICTION

Someone’s in the Kitchen by Eric E. Pete I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Francis Ray*

A Chance at Love by Beverly Jenkins

Ladies in Waiting by Linda Hudson-Smith

Never Again Once More by Mary B. Morrison

An Ordinary Woman by Donna Hill

Love Frustration by RM Johnson

Cubicles by Camika Spencer

* - Interview with the author

I had the opportunity to attend the Texas Library Association conference in Dallas, Texas this year. One of the workshops I attended was called; African American authors: The wait is over. The featured speaker was a best-selling African American author named Francis Ray. Working in a library for eight years, I never saw the popularity with African American books until recently. The area where our library is located is a predominately white, rural vicinity, but the African Americans in the community have been screaming for books written by and about black people. I had the chance to talk with Ms. Ray and exchange email addresses with her in order to ask her some questions. She was more than willing to give me as much information as I need for my project.

Ms. Ray: It was very difficult to get that first book, Fallen Angel, published in 1992. I’ve always said I’m not sure if it was because I was a black author with black characters or if my work just wasn’t up to par. However, at that time, there had been only a few black romances written in the previous ten-year period when major publishing houses were putting out 132 titles each month. I sold to Odyssey Books, a small African American company in Silver Springs, Maryland which, unfortunately, went out of business two years later.

Valerie: Is there still a struggle for African Americans to get their books published?

Ms. Ray: There continues to be a struggle to get our books published and on the shelves in significant numbers, but things have opened up. In the past three years major publishing houses have started 10 imprints dedicated to work by and about African Americans. This is an unprecedented time for us. Although being published is a major hurdle, getting the book in the hands of the consumer is vital to success. African American print runs are consistently lower than those who write in the mainstream, and therefore, our audience although growing, won’t expand significantly until our print runs increase. Without the unwavering support of African American bookstores, many of us would have dismal sales. African American authors owe a major portion of any success we might have achieved to African American bookstores.

Ms. Ray: I don’t think there is a preference for a publisher, but there have been some trends. For instance, may previous self-published authors have found homes at Dafina (Kensington), Strivers Row (Random House), and Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster). A few romance writers turned mainstream writers are now at St. Martin’s Press including yours truly. Other romance writers have moved to Harper Torch/Avon to continue writing romance. Publishing houses are very receptive to African American work. I conducted a workshop in 2002 and compiled a listing of over 35 imprints for African American fiction and non-fiction. A good reference guide is Writer’s Market, found in the library.

Ms. Ray: I wrote 5 years before I sold Fallen Angel. During that 4^th year I sold 16 short stories that helped me stay motivated. Writing is a struggle for me, but when I finish, it’s worth all the angst I went through.

Ms. Ray: The advice I would give African American authors is to study the craft of writing. Some people have natural talent, but the rest of us have to work hard and study. The flow of the story may appear seamless, but the author might have spent long hours writing and rewriting. Please check out Robert Fleming’s African-American’s Writer’s Handbook, Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer, and subscribe to Black Issues Book Review to see what is being written and who is buying what. Also, you should join the Black Caucus in your area.

Valerie: In your opinion, what has attributed to the rise in popularity of African American literature?

Ms. Ray: There has been a rise in the popularity of African American literature because publishers, after the success of McMillan, Morrison, and Walker on the New York Times’ list, finally realized that we read, and most important to them, have the money to buy books. This was helped tremendously by the growth of African American book clubs, and of course Oprah brought out the reader in so many African Americans who just never picked up a book. These wonderful women and men made publishers sit up and take notice. I can’t thank them enough (Ray).

In my interview with Ms. Ray, she mentioned the Black Caucus. The Black Caucus is an organization that helps in the development of collections representing the diversity of the African American community. The Texas Library Association has a Black Caucus, which gives African American librarians the chance to share ideas and promote the black community they directly represent. Along with the Black Caucus, there are hundreds of online listservs that limit their members to struggling black authors. Also online book clubs that feature books by or about African Americans. The cable television station B.E.T. features an inside books section on their website that gives reviews, information about upcoming events within the African American community, and also feature a book club. Currently on their website is information about the Black Authors on Tour. With the success of Oprah’s Book Club, not only were book sales going up, but people were joining book clubs in record numbers. Black Authors on Tour was created to fill in where there was a lack of publishing for black authors. The authors that are on this tour visit major markets in the U.S. that target male and female readers particularly ages 25-54 (About black authors…). Black Authors on Tour spreads the joy of reading to the African American community with events that motivate and entertain. They not only target avid readers, but also aspiring writers. Ms. Ray also mentions African American bookstores and how they help black authors sell their books. Even though there are bookstores like Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks, Murder by the book, etc., the need for black bookstores is crucial to the success of many black authors. The problem that has been encountered with these black bookstores is that many publishers are not aware that black bookstores exist. This is because many black bookstores do not buy books from publishers, choosing instead to go through distribution companies. Some black bookstore owners do not worry about the lack of attention from publishers, they are just wanting black authors and their books to get exposure.

One of the first organizations that became available for African American authors is www.blackwriters.org. This organization offers the first national touring black writers conference, the first and largest awards program for traditional and self-published black literature and an annual author book-signing event.

Closer to home there are also many aspiring African American authors. Troy Martin is from Houston, Texas and was recently interviewed by a Dallas news reporter, Lisa Cross. Mr. Martin was asked a few questions concerning the rise of African American literature.

Lisa: Do you feel that the boom in African American writers is a fad or another renaissance?

Mr. Martin: I feel the resurgence in African American literature is an overall extension of African Americans accepting and embracing our very unique culture on a much broader level, which is being expressed through a variety of artistic mediums that include: (but not necessarily limited to) books, film, television, music, dance, poetry etc (Martin).

According to a survey by the Book Industry Study Group, blacks spent 356 million on books in 2000. That is up from 310 million spent in 1999. The black readers that were surveyed, 67% said they enjoyed reading black authors and 53% said they liked to read anything dealing with black Issues (Hubbard, par 8). African American literature has created a loyal reader base.

Through my research it is clear that African American literature has definitely been on the rise and is continuing to become more popular. With the help of people like Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Teri McMillan as well as advocates for black authors, the struggle that many African American’s have faced in their writing careers seems to have paid off. The increase of venues for black authors, has given them more opportunities to promote their books. With more black authors than ever before, it is promising to see their voices speak in support of each other. The influences they have received cycle back to the earliest African American writers. The struggle to overcome is seen in today’s authors as it was seen years ago, but today there is a demand for it and with the help of all areas of the media and an audience hungry for books, African American literature is at present, a bestseller.

This assignment was very interesting to me because it combines two things I love, publishing and books. My future plans are to continue my education and work on my Master’s degree in Library Science. I have been working at a library for eight years and seeing this particular subject firsthand interests me. While gathering information, and talking with Ms. Ray, I now know more than when I began this journal. Before I began this project, I knew that African American people wanted books to read but I was unaware of the struggle to obtain them. Ordering books for an African American audience is very hard when dealing with major publishers, but knowing some of the imprints that are available to libraries will make book ordering much easier. As I continue my education, the things I have learned while doing this project will be very beneficial to me. For example, I have learned where many black bookstores in my area are located, which will give me an opportunity to purchase books from local African American authors. Also, I have joined a listserv of local librarians in Harris County that talk about the different options when it comes to obtaining African American literature and how to get the right books for our patrons. I have also learned how eager black authors are to get their name out there and to be heard. Seeing how passionate these people are about their craft has led me to inquire about an African American author night at our library along with a timeline of the history of African American literature. I have seen how important it is for all genres of literature to be read and hopefully with more exposure from libraries and bookstores, the African American community will reap the benefits.

“Maryland schools ban books by Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison.” Jet January 1998: 12.

Jackson, David. “More Venues for Black Voices.” Publishers Weekly December 2001: 24.

Hubbard, Lee. “Do Black Authors Bite the Hand that Feeds Them?” 3 November 2002