Early works
(Book)

Notes written by Arnold Rampersad.

"Native Son and Black Boy are classics of twentieth-century American literature and yet the novel and memoir known to millions of readers are in fact revised and abbreviated versions of the books Richard Wright wrote. This two-volume Library of America edition presents for the first time Wright's major works in the form in which he intended them to be read. The authoritative new texts, Wright's original typescripts and proofs, reveal the full range and power of his achievement as an experimental stylist and as a fiery prophet of the tragic consequences of racism in American society."

Contains the complete texts of three works by African-American author Richard Wright: "Native Son," and its companion essay "How 'Bigger' Was Born"; Wright's first novel "Lawd, Today!"; and the story collection "Uncle Tom's Children." Includes a chronology of Wright's life and notes on his writings.