What Was African American Literature? (The W. E. B. Du Bois Lectures Book 10)

Warren argues, quite bluntly, that “African American literature” has outlived its relevance as the dominant category for poetry, fiction, and plays written by African Americans. Contradicting an influential portion of the field, which regards this literature as an emanation of vernacular expression going back to slavery, and even to Africa, Warren asserts that African American literature was the body of literature and criticism written by black Americans within and against the strictures of Jim Crow America. In arguing against the continued relevance of the category of African American literature, Warren is certainly not claiming that racism has ceased to exist. Rather, he says that while it continues to make a great difference in African American life, other social and political factors weigh heavily also - so much so that categories which take race as the fundamental unifying category of black expression no longer serve well in meeting the challenges of the moment. In this respect, Warren shows that “African American literature” is a category that has not sufficiently adjusted with our current material and ideological circumstances to warrant claims to a changing present or a provisional futurity. Warren argues that the presumptions and protocols of the category remain ossified within the past, within a definition that only shows how its primary arbiters and practitioners were themselves ossified as contradictory or compromised men of their time. African American Literature Is Over. With This Provocative Claim Kenneth Warren Sets Out To Identify A Distinctly African American Literature - And To Change The Terms With Which We Discuss It. Rather Than Contest Other Definitions, Warren Makes A Clear And Compelling Case For Understanding African American Literature As Creative And Critical Work Written By Black Americans Within And Against The Strictures Of Jim Crow America. Within These Parameters, His Book Outlines Protocols Of Reading That Best Make Sense Of The Literary Works Produced By African American Writers And Critics Over The First Two-thirds Of The Twentieth Century. In Warren's View, African American Literature Begged The Question: What Would Happen To This Literature If And When Jim Crow Was Finally Overthrown? Thus, Imagining A World Without African American Literature Was Essential To That Literature. In Support Of This Point, Warren Focuses On Three Moments In The History Of Phylon, An Important Journal Of African American Culture. In The Dialogues Phylon Documents, The Question Of Whether Race Would Disappear As An Organizing Literary Category Emerges As Shared Ground For Critical And Literary Practice. Warren Also Points Out That While Scholarship By Black Americans Has Always Been The Province Of A Petit Bourgeois Elite, The Strictures Of Jim Crow Enlisted These Writers In A Politics That Served The Race As A Whole. Finally, Warren's Work Sheds Light On The Current Moment In Which Advocates Of African American Solidarity Insist On A Past That Is More Productively Put Behind Us.--pub. Desc. Historicizing African American Literature -- Particularity And The Problem Of Interpretation -- The Future Of The Past -- Conclusion : The Past In The Present. Kenneth W. Warren. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. African American literature is over. With this provocative claim Kenneth Warren sets out to identify a distinctly African American literature—and to change the terms with which we discuss it.Rather than contest other definitions, Warren makes a clear and compelling case for understanding African American literature as creative and critical work written by black Americans within and against the strictures of Jim Crow America. Within these parameters, his book outlines protocols of reading that best make sense of the literary works produced by African American writers and critics over the first two-thirds of the twentieth century.In Warren’s view, African American literature begged the question: what would happen to this literature if and when Jim Crow was finally overthrown? Thus, imagining a world without African American literature was essential to that literature. In support of this point, Warren focuses on three moments in the history of Phylon, an important journal of African American culture. In the dialogues Phylon documents, the question of whether race would disappear as an organizing literary category emerges as shared ground for critical and literary practice. Warren also points out that while scholarship by black Americans has always been the province of a petit bourgeois elite, the strictures of Jim Crow enlisted these writers in a politics that served the race as a whole.Finally, Warren’s work sheds light on the current moment in which advocates of African American solidarity insist on a past that is more productively put behind us. African American literature is over. With this provocative claim Kenneth W. Warren sets out to identify a distinctly African American literatureand to change the terms with which we discuss it. Rather than contest other definitions, Warren makes a clear and compelling case for understanding African American literature as creative and critical work written by black Americans within and against the strictures of Jim Crow America. Within these parameters, his book outlines protocols of reading that best make sense of the literary works produced by African American writers and critics over the first two-thirds of the twentieth century. In Warrens view, African American literature begged the question: what would happen to this literature if and when Jim Crow was finally overthrown? Thus, imagining a world without African American literature was essential to that literature. In support of this point, Warren focuses on three moments in the history of Phylon , an important journal of African American culture. In the dialogues Phylon documents, the question of whether race would disappear as an organizing literary category emerges as shared ground for critical and literary practice. Warren also points out that while scholarship by black Americans has always been the province of a petit bourgeois elite, the strictures of Jim Crow enlisted these writers in a politics that served the race as a whole. Finally, Warrens work sheds light on the current moment in which advocates of African American solidarity insist on a past that is more productively put behind us.