In honor of Black History Month, I’m featuring a book of short stories. Children of the Night: The Best Short Stories by Black Writers 1967 - Present (1995) edited by Gloria Naylor. Naylor (1950-2016) was an influential and talented African American author best known for writing, The Women of Brewster Place, Linden Hills, and Mama Day. Naylor’s works have also been featured in several anthologies.
This book is a companion piece to Langston Hughes’ 1967 classic, The Best Short stories by Black Writers (1899-1967). Naylor arranged the stories into four themes: Remembering, Affirming, Revealing the “Self” Divided, and Moving On. She hand-picked the 37 stories and grouped them by categories within these four themes.
Her objective was to highlight the varied takes of African American writers on their experiences as people of color in a changing America. She wanted to demonstrate that Black writers, who share many of the same obstacles imposed by society, aren’t monolithic. They live different lives and experience the world differently depending on where they grew up, went to school, or currently live. Their personal experiences, either positive or negative, influence how they react to adversity. They are capable of perceiving obstacles and opportunities differently from their peers.
There is a commonality, but also a wealth of diversity and wisdom to be found in these stories.
In a time when many are trying to ban books and rewrite American history, it’s reassuring to know we have these stories from talented writers to remind us of the truth.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the experiences of people of color from their own perspectives.
Includes stories from and individual biographies for: Maya Angelou, Gloria Naylor, Alice Walker, James Baldwin, Terry McMillan, Ralph Ellison, Samuel Delany, Sherley Anne Williams, John Edgar Wideman, Jewelle Gomez, Alexis De Veaux, Andrea Lee, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Howard Gordon, Diane Oliver, Ann Petry, Toni Cade Bambara, Rita Dove, Jess Mowry, Helen Elaine Lee, Carolyn Ferrell, Shay Youngblood, Joyce Carol Thomas, Michael Weaver, Charles Johnson, Jamaica Kincaid, Edward P. Jones, Randall Kenan, Sam Greenlee, Kelvin Christopher James, James Alan McPherson, Colleen McElroy, Thomas Glave, Clarence Major, Ntozake Shange, Carolivia Herron, and Edwidge Danticat.
Photo Credits:
Gloria Naylor:
By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2584125
Book Image:
Taken from my personal collection of books on 1/23/23