Originally published anonymously in 1912, Johnson’s novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is considered one of the foundational works of twentieth-century African American literature, and its themes and forms have been taken up by other writers, from Ralph Ellison to Teju Cole. A chronology of Johnson's life and work and a selected bibliography are also included, as well as six images.James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) exemplified the ideal of the American public intellectual as a writer, educator, songwriter, diplomat, key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and first African American executive of the NAACP. The four critical essays and interpretations in this volume speak to The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man's major themes, among them irony, authorship, passing, and parody. Knopf, and Victor Weybright among others. In addition to Johnson, contributors include Eugene Levy, W. An unusually rich selection of "Backgrounds and Sources" focuses on Johnson's life the autobiographical inspirations for The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man the cultural history of the era in which Johnson lived and wrote the noteworthy reception history for the 1912, 1927, and 1948 editions and related writings by Johnson. 1910) and the original ending (chapter 11, ca. The appendices that follow the novel include materials available in no other edition: manuscript drafts of the final chapters, including the original lynching scene (chapter 10, ca.
It is accompanied by a detailed introduction, explanatory footnotes, and a note on the text. This Norton Critical Edition is based on the 1912 text.
Known only as the "Ex-Colored Man," the protagonist in Johnson's novel is forced to choose between celebrating his African American heritage or "passing" as an average white man in a post-Reconstruction America that is rapidly changing.
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