Playing in the Dark

Morrison shows how much the themes of freedom and individualism, manhood and innocence depended on the existence of a black population that was manifestly unfree—and that came to serve white authors as embodiments of their own fears and desires. Her brilliant discussions of the "Africanist" presence in the fiction of Poe, Melville, Cather, and Hemingway lead to a dramatic reappraisal of the essential characteristics of our literary tradition.

Written with artistic vision, Playing in the Dark is an invaluable read for avid Morrison admirers as well as students, critics, and scholars of American literature.

An immensely persuasive work of literary criticism that opens a new chapter in the American dialogue on race—and promises to change the way we read American literature.

Endorsements

"Morrison reimagines and remaps the possibility of America." — Chicago Tribune

Nobel Prize-winning author