The 24 entries in this book provide extensive coverage of some of the most notable figures in African American literature, such as Alice Walker, Richard Wright, and Zora Neale Hurston.Icons of African American Literature: The Black Literary World examines 24 of the most popular and culturally significant topics within African American literature's long and immensely fascinating history. Each piece provide substantial, in-depth information-much more than a typical encyclopedia entry-while remaining accessible and appealing to general and younger readers.Arranged alphabetically, the entries cover such writers as Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and August Wilson; major works, such as Invisible Man, Native Son, and Their Eyes Were Watching God; and a range of cultural topics, including the black arts movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and the jazz aesthetic. Written by expert contributors, the essays discuss the enduring significance of these topics in American history and popular culture. Each entry also provides sidebars that highlight interesting information and suggestions for further reading.

Sidebars provide snapshots of interesting and significant subject matter

Series ForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsMaya Angelou By Kimberly OdenJames Arthur Baldwin By Jasmin J. VannBlack Aesthetic By Lakisha OdlumBlack Arts Movement By RaShell R. Smith-SpearsBlues Aesthetic By Lynn WashingtonPaul Laurence Dunbar By Thomas CassidyHenry Louis Gates Jr. By Mark S. JamesHarlem Renaissance By Ordner W. Taylor IIIE. Lynn Harris By Regina N. BradleyLangston Hughes By Karima K. JeffreyZora Neale Hurston By Warren J. CarsonInvisible Man By Dolores V. SiscoJazz Aesthetic By Karine BlignyTerry McMillan By Marian C. DillahuntToni Morrison By Annie-Paule Mielle de Prinsac and Susana M. MorrisWalter Mosley By Jessica ParkerNative Son By Aimable Twagilimana and Cammie M. SubletteA Raisin in the Sun By Carol Bunch Davis and Alexis M. SkinnerSignifying By Timothy Mark RobinsonSlave Narrative By Terry NovakThe Souls of Black Folk By Robert J. PattersonUp from Slavery By Jessica ParkerAlice Walker By R. Erin HuskeyAugust Wilson By Yolanda Williams PageAbout the Editor and ContributorsIndex