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African-American authors have made a deep and lasting impact on American literature contributing equally to poetry, fiction and drama. The early history of black authors shows a focus on specific genres such as autobiography, slave narratives, Sunday school literature, and oratory. Nowadays, African-American authors are found writing all kinds of genres from romance to mystery and from historical fiction to science fiction.
The first African American author to have published a novel is considered to be William Wells Brown. His book ‘Clotel’ was published in 1853. Harriet E. Wilson is considered the first African American woman author to be published. Her book ‘Our Nig’ was published in 1859 and like ‘Clotel’ it dealt with issues of race and slavery.
The period in between the two World wars saw the rise of African American literature and the wide acceptance of many black authors. This period has been termed the Harlem Renaissance as it was centered in the neighborhood of New York known as Harlem. Works by authors like W E B DuBois, Jean Toomer and Zora Neale Hurston had in common a strong sense of racial pride. The works of these authors spoke about the African American experience.
The 1930s saw the works of great African American authors like Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin. The works of these authors, which included classics like ‘Native Son’, ‘Invisible Man’ and ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain’, went on to inspire many young writers, both black and white.
The 1970s saw the rise of African American women authors. Authors such as Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Gloria Naylor wrote stories about black protagonists and their experiences with slavery, racial discrimination and the black ethos. Toni Morrison’s lyrical work which included books like ‘Beloved’, ‘Paradise’ and ‘Jazz’ won for her the highest honor possible in literature, the Nobel Prize, in 1993.
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