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A review by kevin_shepherd
James Baldwin: A Biography by David Leeming
3.0
In preface, let me say that I learned a good deal more about James Baldwin in David Leeming’s biography than I thought probable.
For instance, I learned that early in his writing career Baldwin’s ability to accurately portray life in the Jim Crow South was called into question because he was, by birth, a “northerner.” I learned that his writing style was mocked by Alex Haley (“I like those Baldwin sentences with all them commas 'n'shit”). I learned, not surprisingly, that Baldwin's work was often considered immoral and offensive. I learned that Baldwin had both public and private tussles with Langston Hughes over which of them wrote “real books” and which of them wrote “piles of slogans and manifestos.” I also learned that James Baldwin thought that racism was so infused into white culture, so endemic to America, that many white folks were oblivious to its existence; a state of insensibility that he politely termed “White Innocence.”
My issue with author David Leeming’s book stems not from his source material but rather from his complete lack of objectivity. Leeming’s intimate friendship with Baldwin is evident from the start and as a result his biography often comes across as both tabloid and cliché. 3 stars.
For instance, I learned that early in his writing career Baldwin’s ability to accurately portray life in the Jim Crow South was called into question because he was, by birth, a “northerner.” I learned that his writing style was mocked by Alex Haley (“I like those Baldwin sentences with all them commas 'n'shit”). I learned, not surprisingly, that Baldwin's work was often considered immoral and offensive. I learned that Baldwin had both public and private tussles with Langston Hughes over which of them wrote “real books” and which of them wrote “piles of slogans and manifestos.” I also learned that James Baldwin thought that racism was so infused into white culture, so endemic to America, that many white folks were oblivious to its existence; a state of insensibility that he politely termed “White Innocence.”
My issue with author David Leeming’s book stems not from his source material but rather from his complete lack of objectivity. Leeming’s intimate friendship with Baldwin is evident from the start and as a result his biography often comes across as both tabloid and cliché. 3 stars.