Image of James Baldwin

The Works of James Baldwin

Event details

In time for Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month, the Core Conversations virtual book group will read and discuss the works of James Baldwin – six early pieces on American identity, written from France, along with If Beale Street Could Talk, written a decade after the Civil Rights Movement.  These works help trace Baldwin's evolution as a writer focused on the self to one focused on the experience of race and justice.

Join us for this exciting session with Yujhán Claros from the Department of Classics, who says the goal "is to situate Baldwin as he understood himself, as an artist and writer engaged in reinterpreting and intervening in the so-called Western literary tradition."  The club includes guiding questions and facilitated conversation on the Core Conversations Goodreads group and will run from January 18- February 22, 2020.

How to Register

  1. Click the button above to be directed to the Core Conversations group on goodreads.com.
    • If you have an account, sign in and continue to step 2.
    • If you are new to Goodreads, click "Create an Account" and proceed through the provided instructions to create an account.
  2. Once logged in, click the "Join Group" button on the Core Conversations page.
  3. In the message box that appears, type your full name and your Columbia College class year so we can verify your Columbia College connection.

Your membership should be confirmed within 24-48 hours.

If you are not a graduate of Columbia College and would still like to participate as a guest of an alum, include the full name and Columbia College class year of the alumnus with whom you are joining.

Date and time
Saturday, January 18, 2020 12:00am - Saturday, February 22, 2020 11:59pm

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