If_Beale_Street_Could_Talk

If Beale Street Could Talk Book Review: If Beale Street Could Talk James Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924. His first novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain, received good reviews, but more importantly, it opened a new voice in literature. Baldwin stated, “Mountain is the book I had to write if I was ever going to write anything else.” The appearance of his next novel in 1963, The Fire Next Time, appeared when the civil rights movement was expanding in the South. This story consisted of American’s refusal to face their own history. If Beale Street Could Talk is controversial in many ways, but when judging its value in a classroom setting, it proves to be essential. James Baldwin addresses issues that are only age-appropriate for mature students in high school, but probably more beneficial for the college student. Most of the criticism that this book received is from its graphic description of racism, and its graphic language and sexual display. Although there are many reasons and qualities that this book should receive praise. For instance Beale Street shows strong qualities of honesty, family, survival, and love. This book has an important message that could be taught to students who are also facing racism or baldwin, racism, very, fonny, way, tish, students, street, relationship, book, black, society, out, novel, man, life, james, beale, young, truth, talk, subject, story, shows, sexual, qualities, new, important, york, write, ways, victim, understand, topics, teaching, student