![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Though their story should seem dated, it does not. Its suffering, bewildered people, trapped in what is referred to as the ‘garbage dump’ of New York City-blacks constantly at the mercy of whites-have not even the psychological benefit of the Black Power and other radical movements to sustain them. ![]() If Beale Street Could Talk is Baldwin’s 13th book and it might have been written, if not revised for publication, in the 1950’s. And, of course, there are circles, perhaps those nearest home, in which he cannot ever win-for there will be people who resent the mere fact of his speaking of them, whether he intends to speak for them or not. In some circles he cannot lose-his work will be praised without being read, which must be the worst possible fate for a serious writer. Or he is forced to represent a mass of people, his unique vision assumed to be symbolic of a collective vision. The black writer, if he is not being patronized simply for being black, is in danger of being attacked for not being black enough. He has been both praised and, in recent years, denounced for the wrong reasons. “James Baldwin’s career has not been an even one, and his life as a writer cannot have been, so far, very placid. Neither love nor terror makes one blind: indifference makes one blind. ![]()
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