Going to Meet the Man: Stories

"There'snowaynottosuffer.Butyoutryallkindsofwaystokeepfromdrowninginit."Themenandwomenintheseeightshortfictionsgraspthistruthonanelementallevel，andtheirstories，astoldbyJamesBaldwin，detailtheingeniousandoftendesperatewaysinwhichtheytrytokeeptheirheadabovewater.Itmaybetheherointhatadown-and-outjazzpianistusestofacetheterrorofpouringhislifeintoaninanimateinstrument.Itmaybethebrittlepietyofafatherwhocanneverforgivehissonforhisillegitimacy.Oritmaybethescreenofbigotrythataredneckdeputyhasraisedtoblunttheawfulchildhoodmemoryofthedayhisparentstookhimtowatchablackmanbeingmurderedbyagleefulmob.Byturnshaunting，heartbreaking，andhorrifying--andinformedthroughoutbyBaldwin'suncannyknowledgeofthewoundsracismhasleftinbothitsvictimsanditsperpetrators--GoingtoMeettheManisamajorworkbyoneofourmostimportantwriters.