Erika answers “I'd assumed that the boys were POC, but I...”

Wolfram-Jaymes Keesing asked this question about Giovanni’s Room:

I'd assumed that the boys were POC, but I keep finding articles on 'Baldwin's ability to write white protagonists in "Giovanni's Room."' My question is: did I miss the part where Baldwin says they're white, or is it fine to continue assuming they're POC?

Erika I'm not sure if it is made that explicit in the book, but Baldwin said in his interviews that the characters were white. This isn't because it would b…moreI'm not sure if it is made that explicit in the book, but Baldwin said in his interviews that the characters were white. This isn't because it would be "unrealistic" in that time for them not to be white, POC have been around for longer than we often like to acknowledge, but because Baldwin didn't want to tackle both the subject of homosexuality and race in the same book, as he found that it would make the book much more complex. The intersectionality of race and sexuality is something that transcends both categories and thus would be posing other questions than the ones in this book. He does attempt it in 'Go tell in on the Mountain', a more autobiographical book, and I recommend it warmly.(less)

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Giovanni’s Room

by James Baldwin

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