Highly recommended...This is an "intense" read...and you will find yourself going back and re-reading certain pages to make sure that you absorbed everything from the page. A stirring story of two brothers desperately seeking to find themselves and a true identity outside of the religious world they had been so immersed in...

I first came across the book as a teenager, rooting around amidst the books my brother left behind. I was just coming out then, and decided to try and read it. Much of it flew over my head then, but upon returning to it as an adult, I found much here to treasure. The characters not only inhabit the pages, but leap right off them at times, and the reader feels like he would want to sit in a room with them, talk with them, laugh with them and grieve with them. As a black gay man, it's nearly an autobiographical read, showing how far ahead of his time Baldwin was. It definitely comes highly recommended from this reader.

James Baldwin's voice creates a rich portrait to accompany the tale of a family atmosphere and all the forces that converge on them as friends, lovers, and kin. The cast of characters speak through their actions, allowing you to feel the "holy ghost" that the child-turned-preacher Julia could send through a church as well as the vocal harmony of a group of young black men who go on a singing tour of the south in a time where lynching was a pasttime of small town racists. I read this for the first time a mere seven years ago, and since then have read it again and again for the simple fact that you can pick up so much direct and indirect emotions, actions, and premises by hearing the main cast--Arthur, Julia, and Hall, as well as those they come into contact with as they all make their way towards finding a balance between the small line between existence and nonexistence historically for Afro-Americans. "Just Above My Head" reads like an almanac of people, places, and things that get lost in the romantic "good old days" that too many of our literary genius are guilty of promoting while ignoring the "have nots" of society. This book is a staple for me, and I know I'm not the only one, so if you haven't read it, then do so.

This is a collection of nonfiction from James Baldwin's illustrious career: essays, book excerpts and movie/book reviews. I have read it many times and never get tired of it. What more can I say?

Baldwin was a great writer, not only because he told a compelling story, but because he wanted his work to change the world he lived in and, on some levels, it did. No other example of this intention is more apprant than Baldwin's non-fiction work. His essays are timely (even now), filled with biting intelect, and brimming with his trademark ability to wind around an issue.

This book is all the more relevant because it saves you time: it collects his 3 book-length essays ("Fire Next Time", "No name In The Street" and "The Devil Finds Work"), as well as a ton of other pieces. It's almost totally comprehensive in this respect. Revealing and a more than trustworthy look at the man from his own mouth, and over the years.

With the possible exception of Tom Paine and Gore Vidal, Baldwin is the finest essayist. Most of his non-fiction is here, including his groundbreaking essay "Fifth Avenue, Uptown," the best single essay I have ever read. Of special interest, as one who enjoys movie criticism, is the entire book "The Devil Finds Work," in which Baldwin happily takes apart a number of American classic films. I was never wild about Baldwin's fiction, but no one could top him as an essayist. If you are buying one American non-fiction book, this should be the one.

This remarkable piece by James Baldwin is about the love of two brothers in a black society. He depicts this in the following excerpt, "Safe, hell! Ain't no place safe for kids, nor nobody," which depicts the streets in which Sonny and his brother grew up. Identity is a big theme in this literary work. Two black men are trying to find themselves and each other in an unforgiving American society.
Sonny and his brother grow up in a home whose uncle was killed as a young man. However, Sonny's father did not want them to know about the brutal world outside on the streets that they walked upon everyday. He wanted them to feel safe and not afraid. Prior to their mother's death she revealed this to Sonny, who by this time had a rocky relationship with his younger brother, uses this information to make amends with his younger brother. He actually starts listening to what his brother has to say and what his desires are for himself. Instead of pushing ideas that Sonny thought would make for a good future for his brother he learned to appreciate his brother's talent. He loosens his control over his younger brother and allows him to be himself. He lets love take the upper hand.
This is a inspirational story about a few African Americans who are each striving to find their own identities-one wants so desperately to be heard while the other is desperately smothering him until finally they realize who they are and the long road that awaits each of them.

Sonny's Blues is a well written book by James Baldwin that captures the feeling of a recovering dope addicted young black man, Sonny, who is seeking a new life with his brother in Harlem with his jazz music as a way of telling his life story. It begins by Sonny's brother finding out in a newspaper that Sonny had been serving a jail sentence for his use of heroin. After a few years of not talking to one another, Sonny sends his brother a letter telling him how much he needed to hear from him while he was away in jail and that when he gets out he wants to meet him in New York. When they meet, they talk and his brother finds himself getting upset after everything Sonny says whether it is about his addiction or about him wanting to be a jazz musician. Sonny's brother is a teacher and he is worried about what Sonny is going to do with his life, so he sends Sonny to live with his in-laws to go to school, but Sonny never goes and he stays in the house the whole time playing music on their piano. Since the brothers are parentless, Sonny's brother is taking on the role of his parents to get Sonny' s life headed in the right direction. Before their mother died she told Sonny's brother a story of how her husband's brother died. Him and his brother were coming home from a club one night, feeling really good after drinking, when a car full of white people sped towards his brother and ran over him, killing him instantly. Since his mother told him that story, Sonny's brother has been worried about his younger brother and where he is going in life. The book concludes with Sonny bringing his brother to a club where he was going to perform with two other black guys on his piano. After listening to him play, Sonny's brother soon heard Sonny's life told and explained in his music, and then that is when his brother understood what Sonny has been going through and what direction he is headed.

This a great book, if only for the sneaking way Andrews's superb writing sudenly shocks the reader into the realization of what great talent he had. I won't give away any of the story- readers should pick up the book and find out for themselves. I will tell you, though, that what attracted me to Andrews in the first place was the tragic story of his all too short life. I may be suspect for reading a book only because of the interest I had in the author's personality. Does this take away from the work ? Possibly, but authors are intriguing people, and their personal stories can be as compelling as their fiction. Andrews has an elegant style that comes across as almost savage at the same time. This book is populated with a vivid gallery of characters that breath life right of the page. Andrews can take his palce among the canon of great the Southern writers that came befor him- Faulkner, O'Connor- and his living contemporaries like the Great George Garrett. Read and enjoy !

DUTIES, PLEASURES and CONFLICTS is a fine collection of essays and short stories by Jamaican-American political activist and scholar, Michael Thelwell. Thelwell is the author of the justly reputed novel, "The Harder They Come" based on the more widely-known cult film. In these essays Thelwell's experience as a Civil Rights organizer in Mississippi, and a founder of SNCC (The Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee; later to be transformed by its more radical chairman, Stokely Carmichael into The Black Panther Party) is brought to bear in some eloquent commentary on the nature of the early 60's civil rights movement in the deep South. His excellent, powerfully ironic short story, "The Organizer" (about a Klan bombing of a church and the "pragmatic" decision by Organizers to capitalize on the tragedy by manipulating its "shock-stock" in the National media) is also included. The quality of writing in these pieces warrants the observation that Thelwell's superb command of irony illuminates rather than masks or trivializes insights into the the battle for humanity and freedom for men, women and children of all races and ethnic backgrounds. The book is graceful and literary without dry pedantry. It is also "living literature"...not a PC tract or shrill political manifesto. The last essay...."God aint Finished with Us Yet"... concerns the presidential campaign(s) of Jesse Jackson. Here a bluntly vitriolic tone does occasionally overwhelm Thelwell's characteristic skill in understating what he may, in fact, regard as most urgent and attention-deserving themes. To readers who might be critical of this final piece as lacking the grace evidenced in the other, demonstrably excellent essays and stories comprising the collection, author Thelwell might retort...to both Democrats and Republicans alike..."So what! Look at...ponder if your sensibilities permit...what you've got running for President now..." Or maybe not. Thelwell is writing what is proposed as the definitive biography of Stokely Carmichael...who repudiated his western/Christian name to assume the name Kwame Ture. I have seen a substantive draft of this work-in-progress and assure the reader that the story of this well-known (loved, despised or dismissively ridiculed) civil rights leader deserves to be read. Thelwell's "DUTIES, PLEASURES, and CONFLICTS," makes it manifestly evident that he is the man to tell this story and make it accessible and moving to any reader interested in intelligent, political discourse.

After the end of the Second World War, a number of African Americans, including many of our most talented intellectuals, decided that America was just not a sufficiently hospitable home. Those who could left for Europe. Many, landed in Paris, which provided a far more civilized society.

Literary giants like James Baldwin, Richard Wright and other intellectuals found a place where their worth was determined by things more significant than skin color. This is the story of their experiences.

Another book worth searching for.

James Baldwin's Later Fiction: Witness To The Journey by Lynn Orilla Scott (Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of American Thought and Language, Michigan State University) is a tour de force literary analysis of one of the great African American authors of the twentieth century. Close readings and a thoughtful study of Baldwin's "Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone," "If Beale Street Could Talk," and "Just Above My Head" compose this literary analysis and commentary that examines how African-American artists and writers have fought to change how race, sex, and gender are represented (and sometimes stereotyped) in American popular culture. James Baldwin's Later Fiction is highly recommended for its solid focus on James Baldwin, who as an African-American writer, reflected and incorporated the upheavals in society as reflected in the civil rights and black power movements of the 1950s and 1960s.

Reading Daddy Was A Number Runner for the second time as an adult was like visiting an old friend. I first read the novel when I was in junior high and the only thing I remembered from it was this freaky movie theater scene. That and the fact that it was good. Now that I am grown, I took a lot more away from it this time.

Francie is twelve and growing up in 1930's Harlem. She has two older brothers who have totally different aspirations in life. One wants to be a hoodlum and the other wants to quit school to become an undertaker. Her father, a number runner of course, is too proud to go onto public assistance and that causes a lot of turmoil between her parents. She has a best friend that likes to beat her up most of the time. Old white men try to feel her up whenever they get a chance. Francie really endures a lot for a person her age. If you are into period novels, this is a must read because it gives insight in a generation we know nothing about.

From beginning to end, the book was enjoyable. Brutally honest and very mature, but an excellent read. Many times hit close to home, others were a learning experience (like the use of rags, the electric hair on juveniles, etc.) It was a quick read that I didn't want to finish!

Daddy Was A Number Runner provides a horrific historical and sociological picture of Harlem during the 1930's post-Renaissance era. The reader travels throughout the daily trials and tribulations of Francie Coffin, an adolescent girl living with her brothers, mother and father, who is a number runner.

Statistically we know of the crime, deviance, poverty, fatherless homes and emerging welfare system but what we do not read about is the human elements; the feelings involved. Through Francie's own words and her dreams we are able to feel and capture Francie's plight. While Francie appears to be somewhat naïve she is also able to navigate the streets and people within Harlem. Francie serves as an errand girl for her father, gets into scuffles with her friend and is a victim of molestation. On the positive side she is an obedient daughter and sister, attends school and she loves to read. For Francie, reading and attending movies at the theater is her salvation from the madness.

The book goes one step further to examine Black and Jewish relationships. These relationships are presented in the form of tenant/landlord, student/teacher, customer/business owner and domestic/employer and in each, the black characters appear to be the victims. While not harboring resentment towards Jews as a group, the characters demonstrate a dislike towards the individual because in each example the Black character is shown to be subservient towards the Jewish character for survival.

The characters portrayed are captivating and one of the books largest strengths is the ability of Meriwether to show some positive aspects of the inhabitants. Through all of this despair we find love, kindness and support of family and neighbors, male pride, the importance of education, and compassion. The word community resonates throughout this story and the women are the backbone of this community.

There is no happily ever after and everything is not neatly fixed at the conclusion for there is no conclusion. What we have is Francie's acceptance of her life and her community but also her ability to still dream of a different life. Meriwether has provided the reader with an assessment in the life of a small community but does not place blame on one entity. We, the reader, are able to empathize because Daddy Was A Number Runner offers a lesson in history that is relevant today. This is a story of family and the survival of it.

'Going to Meet the Man' is a diverse collection of short stories which attempt to explain the psyche of young black American boys/men in the early 1950s. Yes, there is anger and frustration. But the author's excellent prose elevate the stories beyond stereotype. He is compassionate without making these characters into martyrs of white America.

Of course many will argue these stories are badly dated. And true, America has moved on (generally for the better) since the early 1950s. But it would be unfortunate to overlook these stories for this reason. Baldwin captures the essence of where American society has come from, and we can all learn from history. I also feel it is unfortunate that nearly all the readers of "Going to Meet The Man' will be African-Americans, unlike myself (..who have the most to learn).

Bottom line: terrific tidbits showing Baldwin's brilliance. A worthy read.

A fabulous collection of short stories that have not really aged in spite of the forty years gone since they were first published.

Sonny's Blues is a real gem because it shows three ways out of deprevation, out of the mental ghetto that grows in a real ghetto, like Harlem, out of desperation and dereliction.

One can go upward in society, become a teacher, through hard studies, get married, raise a family. In one way, accept the American Dream and forget about the tragedy, or the nightmare. « God Save the American Republic ! »

One can get into music and into a completely different world of imagination, art, harmony, research, rhythm, melody, all that the world does not provide. That is the Blues, Jazz, the fairyland of OZ. Unluckily you have to go there and come back. « God pity us, the terrified republic ! »

And one can get into heroin, the fabulous horse of American history, the mythical horse of the Great Plains, the mystical horse of the Railroads, the heavenlike horse of Indians and Blacks. Forget all that and shoot your veins. « He who sees his veins can see his pains ! »

James Baldwin is a master in the field of transforming human pain into heavenly light by sharing it with our souls. It does not erase the pain. It just makes it luminous, the light of a new way to some hazardous future. « But where danger is, rescue is ready too », as Hölderlin used to say.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Each of the stories contained in this book deal frankly and honestly with the fear and agony associated with love, hate, prejudice and the suffering humans endure at the hands of their fellow man. All the stories are intense, haunting and in the case of the title story, "Going to Meet the Man", just plain chilling. Other notable stories are "The Man Child", "Sonny's Blues" and "Previous Condition". This is a good place to start if you're just discovering James Baldwin. Also recommended are his novels, "Giovanni's Room", "Another Country" and "Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone".

James Baldwin's novel The Fire Next Time is a narrative of Baldwin's thoughts and perceptions of society throughout his life. This book expresses the point of view of a man who grew up in poverty. Poverty for Baldwin was the streets of Harlem and all of the drug trafficking, prostitution, alcoholism, and crime that took place on a daily basis. The atmosphere in which Baldwin grew up in directly affected the man he became and his views on certain issues.

Baldwin was a young man during some of the most critical times in United States history and his outlook on the Civil Rights Movement is the focus this book. Growing up in Harlem, the inequalities of the black man become painfully apparent to Baldwin. He struggles with the black leaders of the time and their preaching. However, an invitation to meet with the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, provides important insight to this group. Baldwin and Muhammad's perception of white people are clearly different but the two accept each other and continue on with their lives. Muhammad and his followers believe that the white mans reign over the earth is coming to a close and blacks will soon be superior. The relationship between these two men is complicated; Muhammad seems interested in recruiting Baldwin to his cause but Baldwin remains focused on equality.

W.E.B. DuBois once said, "The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line" (103). This issue of power and the color line is constant throughout the novel and it becomes apparent that the struggle for power seems to be drawn with racial lines. The key black figures in the novel struggle against the white culture to gain a foothold to launch themselves out of the wings and into the spotlight of the nation. Dialogue between Baldwin and a few characters question whether power is obtained from the number of followers, "it is now absolutely clear that white people are a minority in the world" (70), or the amount of money available, "He spoke to me...of the amount of money that is annually at the disposal of Negros-something like twenty billion dollars" (79).

Baldwin seems partially interested in joining the Nation of Islam but rethinks his decision and draws his own conclusion of how equality and justice will be obtained. His brilliant insight has the strength to change lives and lead to equality. This novel would be perfect for a reader who is looking to understand how people of different social and economic classes perceived the civil rights movement. As a college student interested in history, the historical changes presented in this book held my attention. This book requires the reader to think of their own society and how it evolved to its current standing. This book demands the reader to think and to understand the meaning of Baldwin's words. With thought and consideration, Baldwin's theories on equality and accepting others will become clear to the reader.

This book is powerful and unsettling at the same time. But that's a good thing, that's just what America needs, a sharp wake up call to the realities and horrors of racism. James Baldwin's commentary on race relations in America rings truer now than when first published. What he says may sound militant, but his words of wisdom coupled with his observations speak volumes. He doesn't just voice his ideas and then leave the reader hanging, no, he offers suggestions about problems that have to be resolved and realities that need to be faced before this country can move forward as a truly United States of America. James Baldwin stands out not only as a superb writer but also as a contemporary philosopher. I would recommend this book along with Mr. Baldwin's fictional masterpieces, "Giovanni's Room" and "Another Country" as a means of discovering this mans exceptional talent.

Perhaps the most significant indictment on racism in America written in the twentieth century, The Fire Next time ignites the mind and soul, causing the reader, whether black or white to reexamine the state of human relations in this country. With the intensity of a million flames and the insight of a prophet, Baldwin details the struggles faced by African Americans (American Negroes then) in a culture that has brutalized, vilified, and rendered us powerless. His insight into the white psyche and its dehumanizing effect on African Americans is frightening and yet as real today as it was in 1962 when this essay was published. How unnerving it was to read this book in 1999 and be faced with the realization that some 37 years later we as a nation are no closer to bridging the racial divide in this country.

I particularly applaud Baldwin for his eloquent discussion of what must be done, by both black and white America to release this country from the shackles that prevent us truly becoming the greatest nation on earth (in deed, not just rhetoric). I highly recommend this book as a must read for the country. In 1962, Baldwin's level of candor may have been somewhat off-putting to white America (the government considered him a Communist), for the truth can be an awfully bitter pill to swallow. Still, it's my hope that at that some point, white America will reckon with their own physiological, spiritual and political ills. Until then, African Americans must continue to hold a mirror before the face of injustice of this nation, while struggling to claim a place in a country that seems dead set on keeping us a drift.