Clarence Major and His Art: Portraits of an African American Postmodernist (Hardcover)

~ Bernard W. Bell (Author) "I am Mfu, not a bit romantic, a water spirit, a voice from deep in the Atlantic:..." (more)
Key Phrases: abolitionist seal, phallic tricksterism, phallic duplicity, Clarence Major, African American, Painted Turtle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Employing his formidable critical skills, Bernard W. Bell investigates the work of one of the century's most complex artists. (Ishmael Reed, University of California, Berkeley)

Bernard Bell's expansive anthology of writings by and about this protean figure in American arts is itself a major venture. It is an excellent collection of instigating essays that present valuable debates among themselves, debates about the changing nature of contemporary African-American writing and disputatious views on the subject of the postmodern. (Aldon Lynn Nielsen, Loyola Marymount University)

Product Description

Poet, novelist, essayist, editor, anthologist, lexicographer, and painter, Clarence Major is one of the most challenging, prolific, yet underappreciated contemporary African American artists. This collection combines poetry, prose, and art by Major with critical essays by leading scholars that showcase Major's aesthetic movement across literary, cultural, and political boundaries and illuminate the complex relationship between the artist's writing and painting.

Although Major's artistic vision is grounded in the historical experiences of black and Native American peoples, he boldly experiments with crossing boundaries of all types. His use of different narrative voices is evidence of what editor Bernard Bell calls Major's "double consciousness" as an African American artist.

This collection highlights the breadth of Major's work, his transformation into a postmodern artist, and the hybrid voices of his literary and visual productions. By presenting Major's poetry, novels, and paintings alongside critical interpretations of these works, this book makes possible a long-overdue examination of a multitalented artist.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807825867
• ISBN-13: 978-0807825860
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,612,204 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)