Richard Wright (1908-1960)

A selective list of online literary criticism for African American novelist and poet Richard Wright, favoring signed articles by recognized scholars, articles published in reviewed sources, and web sites that adhere to the MLA Guidelines for Authors of Web Sites

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introduction and lighter reading

"Richard Wright." A web site on Richard Wright, includes a biography and excerpts from reputable critical discussions of Wright's poetry. Modern American Poetry (U of Illinois).

"Richard Wright." An engaging essay about Richard Wright's haiku, by poet Ty Hadman.

"The mysterious death of Richard Wright; suspicious event raise questions about last days of novelist." Ebony, 1989.

Fowler, Gregory W. "Richard Wright." A substantial introduction, from the Literary Encyclopedia, 03 March 2005 [subscription service].

Richard Wright's 169 page FBI file, provided under the Freedom of Information Act. Wright was investigated by the FBI for being a member of the communist party between 1932-1942. He left the party in 1942 because of ideological disputes.

literary criticism

Briones, Matthew M. "Call-and-response: tracing the ideological shifts of Richard Wright through his correspondence with friends and fellow literati." African American Review, 2003.

Butler, Robert. "Farrell's ethnic neighborhood and Wright's urban ghetto: two visions of Chicago's South Side" [and James T. Farrell, Irish-American Literature]. Studs Lonigan is compared to Native Son to show contrasting views of the South Side of Chicago, IL. MELUS 18, 1 (Spring 1993) [first page of article only].

Costello, Brannon. "Richard Wright's Lawd Today! And the political uses of modernism." African American Review, 2003.

Cappetti, Carla. "Black Orpheus: Richard Wright's 'The Man Who Lived Underground.'" MELUS 26, 4 (Winter 2001) [first page of article only].

DeCoste, Damon Marcel. "To blot it all out: the politics of realism in Richard Wright's Native Son. Style, Spring 1998.

Demirturk, Lale. "Mapping the Terrain of Whiteness: Richard Wright's Savage Holiday." MELUS 24, 1 (Spring 1999) [first page of article only].

Demirturk, Lale "The making and unmaking of whiteness: Richard Wright's Rite of Passage." MELUS 26, 2, (Summer 2001) [first page of article only].

Eby, C. "Slouching toward Beastliness: Richard Wright's Anatomy of Thomas Dixon." African American Review, 2001.

Folks, Jeffrey J. A review of From Richard Wright to Toni Morrison: Ethics in Modern and Postmodern American Narrative. (Peter Lang, 2001). African American Review, 2002, reviewed by Philip Page.

George, Stephen K. "The horror of Bigger Thomas: the perception of form without face in Richard Wright's Native Son." African American Review, 1997.

Hakutani, Yoshinobu. "Richard Wright's The Long Dream' as racial and sexual discourse." African American Review, 1996.

Hakutani, Yoshinobu. A review of Richard Wright and Racial Discourse (U of Missouri P 1996). Reviewed by Alessandro Portelli in African American Review, 1999.

Jurca, Catherine. Introduction to White Diaspora: The Suburb and the Twentieth-Century American Novel. Includes section on Richard Wright and Native Son. Also, publisher's blurb.

Lynch, Michael F. "Haunted by innocence: the debate with Dostoevsky in Wright's 'other novel,' The Outsider." African American Review, 1996.

Miller, Eugene E. "Richard Wright, community, and the French connection." Twentieth Century Literature, 1995.

Peterson, Dale. "Richard Wright's long journey from Gorky to Dostoevsky" [and Maxim Gorky, Fyodor Dostoevsky]. African American Review, 1994.

Reilly, John M., ed. "Richard Wright." A Teacher's Guide to Richard Wright, from educational publisher Heath

Rodgers, Lawrence R. A review of Canaan Bound: The African-American Great Migration Novel (U of Illinois P 1997). African American Review, 2000. Reviewed by Farah Jasmine Griffin.

Rowley, Hazel. "The 'Exile' Years? How the '50s Culture Wars Destroyed Richard Wright." Bookforum, Dec/Jan 2006.

Schultz, Elizabeth. "The Power of Blackness: Richard Wright Re-Writes Moby-Dick." African American Review, 1999.

Smith, Virginia Whatley, ed. A review of "Richard Wright's Travel Writings: New Reflections" (UP of Mississippi 2001). Reviewed by John M. Reilly in African American Review, 2002.

Tuhkanen, Miko Juhani. "'A igger's place': lynching and specularity in Richard Wright's Fire and Cloud and Native Son." African American Review, 1999.

"Richard Wright Papers." Yale University Library, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. A biography and information about the Wright manuscripts at the Beinecke.

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