3 - Retheorizing James Baldwin: 1988–2000

Summary

BY THE TIME OF BALDWIN's DEATH from stomach cancer in 1987, there were several assumptions about James Baldwin and his work on which most Baldwin scholarship was built. There was general agreement that he was an important African American writer, though his relevance was primarily historical (that is, he wrote several seminal essays that were important at a particular point in time). Critics generally agreed that his career peaked in the mid-1960s, and that while he excelled in the essay, with the exception of Go Tell It on the Mountain he fell short in other genres. (Notably, there will be no critical evaluation of his poetry until the end of this period.) And finally, critics generally worked with the assumption that Baldwin spoke most passionately about race, downplayed his sexual orientation, and denounced Christianity.

These assumptions are reflected in Critical Essays on James Baldwin, a 1988 anthology edited by Fred L. Standley and Nancy V. Burt. After giving a quick overview of the critical reception of Baldwin's work (derived mostly from reviews), Standley and Burt offer their rationale for the collection: “This book has been designed to exemplify the evolution of scholarship during approximately the last decade and a half.… While it is true that some of James Baldwin's books have not received the same critical attention as in previously published collections of essays, it is equally the case that his total achievements have received here a more balanced examination and objective evaluation than previously available” (28). The essays are reprints of reviews and critical articles (many of them discussed elsewhere in this book), in addition to new pieces commissioned expressly for the anthology. The collection is notable for reviews of stage productions of Blues for Mister Charlie and Amen Corner and of the PBS production of Go Tell It on the Mountain. What strikes me most about this collection, though, is that all entries generally praise Baldwin's artistry, moral steadfastness, and political astuteness. There is very little that is “critical,” in all senses of the word, in this book. Critical Essays on James Baldwin is as much a homage to Baldwin as it is a collection of recent criticism. The critical assumptions around Baldwin's work seem so set in stone that there is nothing left to do but pay tribute to Baldwin during this period.