August 2, 2024 marks the one-hundredth anniversary of James Baldwin’s birth in New York City in 1924. Provocative and controversial during his own time and beyond, Baldwin is being remembered in tributes highlighting his artistry, influences, and the relevance of his work to today’s world.

The BBC released several broadcasts in this vein last month. Among them is the “Front Row” podcast of July 29, 2024, which hosted Colm Tóibín, author of On James Baldwin (Brandeis University Press, 2024). Tóibín noted that Baldwin was a careful reader, a masterful writer, and one who drew upon the ritual of religion to craft soaring and serious prose. Another contributor, Bonnie Greer, noted that Baldwin’s rhythmic sensibility had roots in the craft of Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen, one of Baldwin’s at DeWitt High School. Continue reading →