Nobody Knows My Name

By James Baldwin,

Book cover of Nobody Knows My Name

Book description

'These essays ... live and grow in the mind' James Campbell, Independent

Being a writer, says James Baldwin in this searing collection of essays, requires 'every ounce of stamina he can summon to attempt to look on himself and the world as they are'. His seminal 1961 follow-up to Notes…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Nobody Knows My Name as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Baldwin first opened my eyes to the possibilities of memoir. When English teachers held up fiction as the literary ideal, I was drawn to Baldwin’s essays instead. I was a New Yorker, living not far from the author’s Harlem, and growing up at the time of the civil rights movement. Baldwin was writing autobiographical non-fiction that, knitted together individual temperament and social history. “I left America because I doubted my ability to survive the fury of the color problem here,” he wrote in Nobody Knows My Name. I read that paragraph as the daughter of Czech Jewish immigrants, white people…

From Helen's list on trauma and recovery.

The Birthright of Sons: Stories

By Jefferey Spivey,

Book cover of The Birthright of Sons: Stories

Ad
Jefferey Spivey Author Of The Birthright of Sons: Stories

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Jefferey's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

The Birthright of Sons is a collection of stories centered around the experiences of marginalized people, namely Black and LGBTQ+ men. Although the stories borrow elements from various genres (horror, suspense, romance, magical realism, etc.), they are linked by an exploration of identity and the ways personhood is shaped through interactions with the people, places, and belief systems around us.

In each of these stories, the protagonists grapple with their understanding of who they are, who and how they love, and what is ultimately most important to them. In almost every case, however, the quest to know or protect oneself…

The Birthright of Sons: Stories

By Jefferey Spivey,

What is this book about?

The Birthright of Sons is a collection of stories centered around the experiences of marginalized people, namely Black and LGBTQ+ men. Though the stories borrow elements from various genres (horror, suspense, romance, magical realism, etc.), they're linked by an exploration of identity and the ways personhood is shaped through interactions with the people, places, and belief systems around us.

Underpinning the project is a core belief - self-definition is fluid, but conflict arises because society often fails to keep pace with personal evolution. In each of these stories, the protagonists grapple with their understanding of who they are, who and…


Want books like Nobody Knows My Name?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Nobody Knows My Name.

Browse books like Nobody Knows My Name

Book cover of Wave
Book cover of Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror
Book cover of The Elimination: A Survivor of the Khmer Rouge Confronts His Past and the Commandant of the Killing Fields

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,524

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in African Americans, race relations, and the Civil Rights Movement?

African Americans 813 books
Race Relations 268 books