African-American writers

"From the early slave narratives to the folklore and dialect verse of the Harlem Renaissance to the contemporary novel, black authors have returned to the roots of their African heritage, often preserved in the songs and stories of their ancestors, and channeled that heritage through their life experiences to create unique works of art. African-American authors have consistently explored the political dimensions of literature and its ability to affect social change. African-American literature has also provided an essential framework for shaping cultural identity and solidarity. African-American Writers is a concise reference work that documents the extraordinary achievements of African-American authors is a wide range of genres." "Offering a wealth of useful information, this book profiles more than 145 writers. Each biographical entry concentrates on the events in that person's life related to his or her accomplishments as a writer and includes a list of further reading on that person. An introduction, bibliography, subject indexes, general index, and 51 photographs round out the resource."--Jacket.