![]() ![]() ![]() “ Black on white violence or Black on Black violence,” said Library of America editorial director John Kulka. They wanted something more along the lines of “ Native Son,” which sold 215,000 copies in its first three weeks of publication, making Wright America’s leading Black author. “The Man Who Lived Underground” follows Fred Daniels, a Black man who retreats into the sewers after being tortured by police and framed for a double homicide.Īt the time, publishers believed white readers didn’t want to be reminded of America’s history of violence against Black Americans. Long considered a pioneering work of African American literature, it was also thought to suffer from constraints on what an author could really say - or be allowed to publish - in Jim Crow America.įewer readers know that, in 1942, Wright submitted to his publisher a considerably more radical work. Many readers know about Richard Wright’s famous 1940 debut novel, “ Native Son,” about a 20-year-old Black man who can’t escape a system designed for him to fail and accidentally kills a young white woman as a result. If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from, whose fees support independent bookstores. ![]()
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