Explains the appeal and value of studying Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," particularly for the Black female college student. Traces the themes of order and disorder, the establishing and crossing of boundaries, and the ways in which characters' self-images reflect their experience of society. (DM)

Traces the development of the new Black aesthetic criticism, describing the works of writers such as Addison Gayle, Houston Baker, and Amiri Baraka. Points out how, despite many parallels with mainstream White criticism, Black criticism is ignored by the literary establishment. (ARH)

The general character and significance of a quest for the real gives "Black Boy" its special form. The autobiography displays the development of Wright's soul and the nature of his own specifically artistic quest. The opening scene metaphorically prefigures the shape and movement of Wright's formative experiences as a whole. (LHW)

Contends that Zora Neale Hurston's 1943 autobiography contains two distinct lines of discourse: the surface narrative aimed at the White reader, and a second discourse for the Black reader, often conveyed by suggestion. Careful reexamination of this work is recommended. (DM)

Discusses the depiction of women characters in the plays of Alice Childress. Analyzes "Wine in the Wilderness" to demonstrate Childress' skill at characterization and calls for further scholarship on this neglected playwright. (KH)

In Toni Morrison's fiction, codes, values, and standards are the polar opposite of those set forth and accepted by the dominant (white) culture. The work must be approached from an anthropological perspective, a holistic approach. (LHW)

Argues that the exclusion of the literature of women, of black, ethnic, and working-class writers from the established literary canon has less to do with valuations of literary quality than with the social distribution of power. (SRT)

Notes that Black women writers of the 70s were writing about a new woman with a consistently heroic and articulate voice, and suggests that critics, especially feminist critics, should take note. Provides examples of characters from the works of Black women writers. (MKM)

Broadens the space for a discussion of reading based in some degree of theorizing that has already occurred within the community of African-American critics and scholars. Argues that those engaged in reader-oriented approaches to literature need to intervene in the canonical debates and the critical practices of noncanonical literatures through…

Contends that Eurocentric criticism cannot adequately explain or interpret the works of African American dramatists. The African American dramatist and his work should be interpreted by a member of his primary audience. (DM)

Highlights religious themes in Alice Walker's "The Color Purple," especially Celie's struggle with traditional Christianity, which here serves to reinforce oppression. Her journey toward spiritual independence reflects much of the actual religious experience of Black women in America. (DM)

Several African-American authors of children's literature, including Deborah Hopkinson, Faith Ringgold, Courtni C. Wright, Valeri Flourneoy, Particia McKissack, and Bettye Stroud, use the tradition of quilts in their stories to "read the world." Quilts conceptualize identity and redefine history while introducing a dialectical tension…

Literature seeks to recover the "facts" and fill in the gaps of knowledge as it enunciates the truth of existence. Nowhere is this more apparent than in African-American literature, where history and art are inextricably linked, where the personal truly is political. Throughout the history of the United States, the institution of slavery…

Examines difficulties children may have in reading Virginia Hamilton's "M. C. Higgins, the Great"; discusses the book and shows how teachers can promote children's appreciation for it by discussing some basic traditions as they appear in the book and by bringing into play children's knowledge of their own belief systems. (ET)

Cudjoe discusses the major movements of Afro-American literature, its particularity, and its universality. He depicts the manner in which Afro-American experiences shape the literary forms, while describing the perspective and methodology which underlie his teaching of Afro-American literature. (Author/SK)