James Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, dramatist, and social critic born in 1924 in Harlem, New York. He faced abuse from his stepfather and turned to books and writing as an escape. He graduated from high school in 1942 and went on to write several influential works that explored issues of race and sexuality in America. Some of his major works include Go Tell It on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, and The Fire Next Time. Baldwin received many honors and awards for his writing in his lifetime and taught at several American colleges in the 1980s before dying of cancer in France in 1987.

1. A Biography of

2. James Baldwin (1924-1987)
American Novelist, Essayist, Dramatist, and Social Critic

3. Early Life
 Born in Harlem in 1924
 Was raised by his
mother, Berdis, and his
abusive step father,
David
 He turned to books and
writing as an escape
from the abuse at home
(Leeming 62)
 Wrote his first published
work at age 12
(Standley)
 Became a minister at
age 14 (Leeming 62)

4. Education
 Attended public
elementary school in
the city
 Graduated from
DeWitt Clinton High
School in 1942
 Was encouraged by
his teachers to
pursue his writing
talents
(Leeming 62)

5. Personal Life
 Faced an inner struggle
between religion and his
writing, as well as
difficulties of being black
in a white society
 Was openly
homosexual, and
explored sexuality in his
novel, Giovanni’s Room
 Became a major civil
rights spokesman
(Leeming 62)

6. Major Works
 Go Tell It on the
Mountain (1953)
 Notes of a Native Son
(1955)
 Giovanni’s Room
(1956)
 Nobody Knows My
Name (1961)
 Another Country
(1962)
 The Fire Next Time
(1963)

7. Awards
 Eugene F. Saxton Fellowship
(1945)
 Rosenwald Fellowship (1948)
 Guggenheim Fellowship
(1954)
 Partisan Review Fellowship
(1956)
 National Institute of Arts and
Letters grant (1956)
 Ford Foundation grant (1959)
 National Conference of
Christinas and Jews
Brotherhood Award (1962)
 George Polk Award (1963)
 Foreign Drama Critics Award
(1964)
 Elected, National Institute of
Arts and Letters (1964)
(Standley)

8. Late Life and Death
 Taught at several
American colleges in
the 1980s after
falling ill
 Died of cancer in
France in 1987
 Just Above My Head
was his last novel,
written in 1979
(Leeming 62)

9. How Baldwin’s Life Impacted
His Works
 Many parallels can be drawn between
his stories and his life
 Reflections of Baldwin can be seen in
his characters
 His works involve issues such as racial
conflict, which Baldwin experienced
himself
 Religion is present in his stories, which
was an important part of his own life

10. Works Cited
Leeming, David. "James Baldwin (1924-1987)." Benet's Reader's
Encyclopedia of American Literature(1991): 62. Literature Resource
Center. Web. 9 Jul 2012.
Standley, Fred. "James (Arthur) Baldwin." Dictionary of Literary
Biography 2. (1978): n.pag. Literature Resource Center. Web. 9 Jul
2012.