This collection gathers seminal essays by Larry Neal, a founder of the Black Arts Movement. Neal, a poet, dramatist, and critic, advocated for art that was politically charged and rooted in the Black experience, aimed at serving the needs of Black America. Writing for Liberator magazine, he challenged the Western art canon and urged Black artists to reshape artistic traditions based on their own history. In his 1966 essay “The Black Writer’s Role”, Neal emphasized that Black writers must create literature that moves people, much like music. The volume, introduced by Allie Biswas, compiles Neal’s work from 1964 to 1978.

• Softcover, 184 pages, 4 1/4 x 7 inches
• Published by David Zwirner Books