John Oliver Killens: A Life of Black Literary Activism is the second of Gilyard's books focusing on the Killens phenomenon. His earlier book, Liberation Memories: The Rhetoric and Poetics of John Oliver Killens, is a detailed study of Killens' novels, through which, taken together, we see one whole continuum of historically-rooted fiction
A Book Party for
A Life of Black Literary Activism
By Keith Gilyard
Skylight Gallery
Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street
(between New York and Brooklyn Avenues)
Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 5:00pm
A book party for Keith Gilyard's John Oliver Killens: A Life of Black Literary Activism (University of Georgia Press), takes place on Thursday, April 29, 2010, at the Skylight Gallery (Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, between New York and Brooklyn Avenues), in Brooklyn. The event begins at 5 p.m., and is jointly sponsored by Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, Center for Art & Culture, and Prof. Carole Gregory's "Modes of Analysis" class at the College of New Rochelle, School of New Resources; the program includes discussion with the author along with a panel of former friends and students of the late novelist.
In this first major biography of Mr. Killens, Prof. Gilyard examines the life and times of the man who was perhaps the premier African American writer-activist, with a literary career that spans from the mid-1940s to the late 1980s. An influential novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and teacher, John O. Killens, along with John Henrik Clarke, Rosa Guy and others, co-founded the Harlem Writers Guild, through which workshop no less than 100 books, screenplays and staged dramas were produced during his tenure as Chair (1951-1965).
Among the Guild's other prominent alumni were Sarah E. Wright, Ossie Davis, Alice Childress, Maya Angelou, Piri Thomas, Lonnie Elder III, Irving Burgie, Loften MItchell, Louise Meriwether, Charles Russell, Sylvester Leaks, et al. Other writers he befriended and mentored outside of the Guild include Haki Madhubuti, Askia Toure, Nikki Giovanni, Ntozake Shange, Doris Jean Austin, BJ Ashanti, Richard Perry, Elizabeth Nunez-Harrell, Nicholasa Mohr, Thulani Davis, Brenda Connor-Bey, Brenda Wilkerson, Arthur Flowers, Terry McMillan, among many others.
Prof. Gilyard, however, extends his focus into the social parameters of Killens’ times and literary achievements—from the Old Left to the Black Arts Movement and beyond. Figuring prominently in this biography are the many prominent African American political and cultural workers connected to the author from the 1930s to the 1980s—W.E.B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson, Alphaeus Hunton, Margaret Walker, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Nina Simone, Gwendolyn Brooks, Woodie King, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harry Belafonte, Chinua Achebe, Keorapetse William Kgositsile, George Lamming, and Gil Noble – like so.
Though several of his works, Youngblood (1954), And Then We Heard the Thunder (1964), Black Man's Burden (1967), The Cotillion (1972), have been translated into well over a dozen languages, Killens, like Dr. Du Bois, has remained among the least studied of American writers.
John Oliver Killens: A Life of Black Literary Activism is the second of Gilyard's books focusing on the Killens phenomenon. His earlier book, Liberation Memories: The Rhetoric and Poetics of John Oliver Killens, is a detailed study of Killens' novels, through which, taken together, we see one whole continuum of historically-rooted fiction (from the 1690s to the 1980s)—and from a Black point of view. A literature professor at Pennsylvania State University, Keith Gilyard has fashioned a narrative that allows readers to more fully take note of the complexities of Killens' evolution—from a human rights and union activist to a novelist/dramatist/screen writer and mentor to no less than three generations of African American writers and activists.
The event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available and refreshments served. Take the 'A' or 'C' train to the Nostrand Avenue station.
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Reviews
I congratulate Keith Gilyard for bringing to life, in the pages of this absorbing book, a figure of genuine importance who certainly deserves a full-scale biography.—Arnold Rampersad, author of Ralph Ellison: A Biography
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John Oliver Killens is a genius of the South, and Keith Gilyard has honored this youngblood, civil rights and union activist, novelist, dramatist, and screenwriter in a superb biography. Gilyard’s engaging written voice draws us into a dramatic and important life, and his deep commitment to the highest standards of research inspires our trust and admiration. John Oliver Killens ably documents and brings to life the yearnings and accomplishments of a major figure in our national literature.—Rudolph P. Byrd, Goodrich C. White Professor of American Studies, Emory University
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John Oliver Killens’ politically charged novels And Then We Heard the Thunder and The Cotillion; or One Good Bull Is Half the Herd, were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His works of fiction and nonfiction, the most famous of which is his novel Youngblood, have been translated into more than a dozen languages. An influential novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and teacher, he was the founding chair of the Harlem Writers Guild and mentored a generation of black writers at Fisk, Howard, Columbia, and elsewhere. Killens is recognized as the spiritual father of the Black Arts Movement. In this first major biography of Killens, Keith Gilyard examines the life and career of the man who was perhaps the premier African American writer-activist from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Gilyard extends his focus to the broad boundaries of Killens’ times and literary achievement—from the Old Left to the Black Arts Movement and beyond. Figuring prominently in these pages are the many important African American artists and political figures connected to the author from the 1930s to the 1980s—W. E. B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson, Alphaeus Hunton, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harry Belafonte, and Maya Angelou, among others.—Publisher, University of Georgia Press.
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Keith Gilyard -- born and raised in New York City -- earned graduate degrees from Columbia University and NYU. Following stints at several campuses, including Medgar Evers College-CUNY and Syracuse University, he is Professor of English at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Gilyard has long been active in professional, cultural, and community organization, and he has lectured widely on language, literature, and education. He also has read his poetry at numerous venues.
Author of numerous publications, his books include Voices of the Self: A Study of Language Competence (1991), Let's Flip the Script: An African American Discourse on Language, Literature, and Learning (1996) Poemographics (2001), and Liberation Memories: The Rhetoric and Poetics of John Oliver Killens (2003).
In addition, he edited Spirit & Flame: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry (1997) and Race, Rhetoric, and Composition (1999).
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Books by John Oliver Killens
Youngblood / And Then We Heard the Thunder / The Cotillion / The Great Black Russian
A Man-Aint-Nothin But A Man Adventures of John Henry / Slaves / Sippi A Novel / Black-SouthernVoices: An Anthology
Great-Gittin-Up-Morning: A Biography of Denmark Vesey / Black Man's Burden
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Books by Keith Gilyard
Voices of the Self: A Study of Language Competence (1991) Poemographics (2001)
Let's Flip the Script: An African American Discourse on Language, Literature, and Learning (1996)
Spirit & Flame: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry (1997) / Race, Rhetoric, and Composition (1999)
Liberation Memories: The Rhetoric and Poetics of John Oliver Killens
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