Jacket illustration: Jacob Lawrence, The Library ( 1960) (courtesy of the National
Museum of Art, Washington, DC/Art Resource).

CHELSEA HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Editorial Director Richard Rennert
Executive Managing Editor Karyn Gullen Browne
Picture Editor Adrian G. Allen
Copy Chief Robin James
Art Director Robert Mitchell
Manufacturing Director Gerald Levine

Writers of English: Lives and Works

Senior Editor S. T. Joshi
Senior Designer Rae Grant

Staff for MODERN BLACK AMERICAN FICTION WRITERS

Assistant Editor Mary Sisson
Research Richard Fumosa, Robert Green
Picture Researcher Pat Bums

© 1995 by Chelsea House Publishers, a division of Main Line Book Co.

Introduction © 1995 by Harold Bloom

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First Printing

1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Modem Black American fiction writers / edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom

p. cm.—(Writers of English)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
ISBN 0-7910-2220-X.—ISBN 0-7910-2245-5 (pbk.)
1. American fiction—Afro-American authors—History and criticism. 2. American
fiction—Afro-American authors—Bio-bibliography. 3. American fiction— 20th century-
History and criticism. 4. American fiction— 20th century—Bio-bibliography. 5. Afro‐
Americans in literature. I. Bloom, Harold. II. Series.

PS374.N4M63 1994
813'.509896073—dc20
[B]

94-5880
CIP