James Baldwin

Author profile

born

in Harlem, New York, The United States

August 06, 1924

died

November 30, 1987

gender

male

genre

Literature & Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

About this author

edit data

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.

James Baldwin offered a vital literary voice during the era of civil rights activism in the 1950s and '60s. The eldest of nine children, his stepfather was a minister. At age 14, Baldwin became a preacher at the small Fireside Pentecostal Church in Harlem. In the early 1940s, he transferred his faith from religion to literature. Critics, however, note the impassioned cadences of Black churches are still evident in his writing. Go Tell It on the Mountain, his first novel, is a partially autobiographical account of his youth. Hi...more

combine editions
James Baldwin's Books

Average rating: 4.15 · 48,241 ratings · 2,807 reviews · 99 distinct works · Similar authors

	Go Tell it on the Mountain 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 12,771 ratings — published 1953 — 40 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Giovanni's Room 4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 10,190 ratings — published 1956 — 43 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fire Next Time 4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 6,111 ratings — published 1963 — 20 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Another Country 4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 avg rating — 4,346 ratings — published 1962 — 28 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Notes of a Native Son 4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 avg rating — 3,131 ratings — published 1955 — 13 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	If Beale Street Could Talk 4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 1,919 ratings — published 1974 — 24 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sonny's Blues 4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 1,577 ratings — published 1957 — 5 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Going to Meet the Man 4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 avg rating — 1,449 ratings — published 1965 — 13 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone 4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 899 ratings — published 1968 — 14 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nobody Knows My Name 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 804 ratings — published 1954 — 7 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by James Baldwin…

Quotes by James Baldwin

“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.”
― James Baldwin

tags: love

3,694 people liked it

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.”
― James Baldwin

2,730 people liked it

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive.”
― James Baldwin

tags: books, empathy, pain, reading

2,655 people liked it

See all James Baldwin's quotes »

Polls

Which book would you like to read for our Category 1 read for December/January?

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

12 votes, 31.6%

Gay L.A. A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians by Lillian Faderman

8 votes, 21.1%

The Men from the Boys by William J. Mann

5 votes, 13.2%

Periphery Erotic Lesbian Futures by Lynne Jamneck

4 votes, 10.5%

Personal Demons by James Buchanan

3 votes, 7.9%

Divas Las Vegas by Rob Rosen

2 votes, 5.3%

Venus Envy by Rita Mae Brown

2 votes, 5.3%

Flesh And Blood by Michael Cunningham

2 votes, 5.3%

38 total votes

4 comments

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Literary Fiction ...: The Root Rewrites the Western Canon	13	70	Nov 22, 2009 11:19pm
Challenge: 50 Books: Barb's 50 books for 2009	80	477	Dec 31, 2009 04:37pm
The Seasonal Read...: 10.3 (RENAISSANCE READING)	20	148	Jan 15, 2010 01:06am
The Seasonal Read...: WINTER CHALLENGE 2009-2010 COMPLETED TASKS	3171	2979	Mar 01, 2010 07:02am
The Book Challenge: Inna's 200 in 2010	67	556	Apr 09, 2010 02:52pm
100+ Books in 2013: Laura's 2010 Books	13	86	Apr 16, 2010 05:30am
For The L♥ve of R...: Authors You'd Love To Eat Lunch With	9	29	May 26, 2010 12:14pm
When the Club Mus...: * Reading Lists	2	48	May 30, 2010 09:08pm
Literary Fiction ...: Discussion: Jonah's Gourd Vine	44	37	Nov 02, 2010 11:36pm

More…

James's Fans (745)

James Baldwin

Author profile

combine editionsJames Baldwin's Books

Quotes by James Baldwin

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

combine editions
James Baldwin's Books