The absence of one of American writings' oldest traditions in the canon has produced a body of literature not only alienating to a large part of the population, but one which has impoverished itself of a broader representation of humanity. This book is written by teachers interested in bringing that traditional African American literature into the classroom. Documented here is the learning process that these educators experienced themselves as they read and discussed the stories and pedagogical strategies which would engage their students. In following these discussions between teachers and...

The first major twenty-first century history of four hundred years of black writing, The Cambridge History of African American Literature presents a comprehensive overview of the literary traditions, oral and print, of African-descended peoples in the United States. Expert contributors, drawn from the United States and beyond, emphasize the dual nature of each text discussed as a work of art created by an individual and as a response to unfolding events in American cultural, political, and social history. Unprecedented in scope, sophistication and accessibility, the volume draws together...

A superb combination of focused case studies and high level conceptual thinking, this volume is an important monument in the ongoing development of Inter-American studies The articles gathered here closely examine a wide variety of cultural phenomena implicated in the 'entanglements' which have defined the history of the Americas. From religious networks to music and dance, and across a range of literary and artistic works, the mobility of people, objects and ideas in the Americas is expertly mapped. At the same time, the book represents a serious enterprise of theory-building. Drawing on the...