James Baldwin, the oldest of 9 children, was born on
August 2, 1924 to an unwed mother who eventually
married David Baldwin, a religious and contentious man
who stressed James's racial and religious roots later
in life. David Baldwin eventually adopted Baldwin.
Baldwin described his childhood as being spent with a
book in one hand, and a baby in the other. Although
it was not specified, one wonders if this reflects
distance from David Baldwin.

While in middle school, Baldwin found
guidance in African American poet Richard Wright.
Wright showed Baldwin the potential for a black voice,
and encouraged his writting although both knew Baldwin
could not afford college.

In 1943, the year David Baldwin died, Baldwin moved to
Greenwich village. Social rejection continued, and
Baldwin eventually found solace in Paris where he
continued writting, often on homosexuality and race.

Our book claims Baldwin avoided being pigeon holed as
a racial writer by using white characters. However,
the majority of information attributes his main
literary influences as Lawrence, Dickens, and Stowe.
I feel this restrains Baldwin's work. To say Stowe
was a major influence encourages one to expect Uncle
Toms in every story and superfluous moralistic
summaries. Similarly, the only person asking for more
in Sonny's Blues might be Sonny looking for another
drink. Poverty is not patronized by Baldwin.

I think his French influences are important to note,
as he spent most of his life in Paris. His lucid
sentences are like Montaigne's; his concern with time
is almost Proustian. But Baldwin's approach deserves
recognition. For Baldwin, telling Sonny's Blues in
media res shows the inherent untruths of the past and
those misconceptions continual resurfacing in American
life. If nothing else, his time spent preaching
before moving to Greenwich may have given his stories
the oratorical power suggested by so many resources.
Baldwin died on December 1, 1987.

I was thinking I could also print out a timeline.