Crosswinds: An Anthology of Black Dramatists in the Diaspora (Blacks in the Diaspora) [Paperback]

William B. Branch (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0253207789 | ISBN-13: 978-0253207784

"H[starred review] Powerful and rich, this outstanding contribution to theater arts is recommended for contemporary literature and black studies collections." —Library Journal

Edited by award-winning U.S. playwright William Branch, this is a landmark collection of plays addressing various aspects of the global black experience by outstanding black playwrights from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and North and South America. Among the plays are dramas by Nobel laureates Derek Walcott and Wole Soyinka, pioneering folklorist Efua Sutherland, and two-time Pulitzer prize winner August Wilson.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In his introduction to this collection of works by contemporary black playwrights, Branch (theater, dramatic literature, and communications, Cornell Univ.) traces the history of black--and all Western--drama back to the elaborate passion plays performed as part of ancient Nubian and Egyptian religious festivals. The relationship between religion and theater is part of the black dramatic heritage, he argues; also influential is the African tradition of the "griot," a historian-storyteller. Crosswinds presents playwrights from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and the United States, including works by Wole Soyinka, Amiri Baraka, August Wilson, and Branch himself. Powerful and rich, this outstanding contribution to theater arts is recommended for contemporary literature and black studies collections.
- Howard E. Miller, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Missouri Lib., St. Louis
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Powerful and rich, this outstanding contribution to theater arts is recommended for contemporary literature and black studies collections". Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (August 22, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253207789
• ISBN-13: 978-0253207784
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #676,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)