The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin - 1963

VERY GOOD condition — DUST JACKET: Wear & tear to top and bottom edges of spine, panels, folds and flaps. Chipping to top of spine, primarily left corner. Chipping to bottom of spine, both corners. Minor chipping to all outside corners, at folds. Chip at top edge of back panel, upper left. Several stress and scuff marks to laminate on spine and both panels, primarily the former, touched up w/minor bleedthru to reverse. NOTE: Several open and closed tears mended on reverse with archival tape, and on face with archival glue. In first 2 pics, paper insert placed inside jacket for improved appearance. BOARDS: Very good condition. Very minor soiling to foredge and foot, primarily the latter. BOOK: Very good condition. Nice topstain. P.O.S. in ink on FEP, flyleaf and half-title page. PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY AND INSPECT PHOTOS CLOSELY FOR CONDITION DETAILS. If unsure, please ask.

Here on offer is a nice copy of James Baldwin's influential book: The Fire Next Time, a couplet of essays on the black experience in America in the early days of the Civil Rights movement. This copy is a true 1st American edition, 1st printing published by The Dial Press in 1963. The authentic dustjacket is protected from further wear by a Mylar sleeve.

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"A national bestseller when it first appeared in 1963, 'The Fire Next Time' galvanized the nation, gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement--and still lights the way to understanding race in America today. Basically the finest essay I've ever read. . . . Baldwin refused to hold anyone's hand. He was both direct and beautiful all at once. He did not seem to write to convince you. He wrote beyond you." --Ta-Nehisi Coates At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document from the iconic author of 'If Beale Street Could Talk' and 'Go Tell It on the Mountain'. It consists of two letters, written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism. Described by The New York Times Book Review as sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle...all presented in searing, brilliant prose, 'The Fire Next Time' stands as a classic of literature."

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"James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim for his work across several forms, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, was published in 1953; decades later, Time magazine included the novel on its list of the 100 best English-language novels released from 1923 to 2005. His first essay collection, Notes of a Native Son, was published in 1955.

Baldwin's work fictionalizes fundamental personal questions and dilemmas amid complex social and psychological pressures. Themes of masculinity, sexuality, race, and class intertwine to create intricate narratives that run parallel with some of the major political movements toward social change in mid-twentieth century America, such as the civil rights movement and the gay liberation movement. Baldwin's protagonists are often but not exclusively African American, and gay and bisexual men frequently feature prominently in his literature. These characters often face internal and external obstacles in their search for social and self-acceptance. Such dynamics are prominent in Baldwin's second novel, Giovanni's Room, which was written in 1956, well before the gay liberation movement.

His reputation has endured since his death and his work has been adapted for the screen to great acclaim. An unfinished manuscript, Remember This House, was expanded and adapted for cinema as the documentary film I Am Not Your Negro (2016), which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards. One of his novels, If Beale Street Could Talk, was adapted into the Academy Award– winning film of the same name in 2018, directed and produced by Barry Jenkins. . . . "

The above text derives from, respectively, Vintage International Publishers (via Google Books) and Wikipedia. [Baldwin, James. The fire next time. United States: Vintage International, 1992.]

This handsome copy would be a worthy addendum to your 1st editions library.