No Name in the Street

top notch writing and powerful. esp in these days of Blacklives matter

This was the fourth book I read from James Baldwin, after The Fire Next Time, Go tell it On The Mountain and No Name In The Street. I thought The Fire Next Time would be his best book that he can't top but this proved me wrong. This one of the most enlightening books I have ever read. I believe Baldwin should be a part of the curriculum. What he writes about is far from what people might call "Black History", he treats the social ills in America as "American History"- and rightfully so. Anyone who cares about America should read this

I recommend this book to anyone who loves our country and despairs of it. Baldwin writes movingly and with grace and wit. Much of this book is true today; some predictions are on target, and some are not. He also refers to women rarely and seems not to know that men and women, Black and white, have different experiences. The idea of sexism doesn't exist for Balfwin. Despite this ommission, there is much beautifully expressed, painful truth in this book.

Great find

This is the third book I read by this Masterful writer and his ability to draw you with his color commentary. in addition to James was so detailed by encapsulating your mind bringing you into his current state and time and the most fascinating part is that from the time from that this book was written not much has changed in some regards but again this shows how special he was and read this gift he left us his concusiness remains with thru these types of amazing bodies of work .

This book is difficult to read in 3 different ways. First, the language is very high level. Second, it contains references that were immediately apparent in 1972 but not so now. Third, it is emotionally painful because we have made so very little progress. Described as a memoir, it's really a philosophical treatise that uses history for context. While powerful, the people who really need to read it never will. If you care anything about racism, civil rights, or the black experience in America, this is well worth the read.