{"product_id":"black-boy-9780063458345","title":"Black Boy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Superb. . . . A great American writer speaks with his own voice about matters that still resonate at the center of our lives.\"--\u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCelebrating its eightieth anniversary, Richard Wright's eloquent autobiography about growing up in the Jim Crow South that gives unique voice to being Southern, black, and male in early 20th century America--now available as a special Harper Perennial Olive Edition.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen \u003cem\u003eBlack Boy\u003c\/em\u003e exploded onto the literary scene in 1945, it was both praised and condemned. Orville Prescott of the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e wrote that \"if enough such books are written, if enough millions of people read them maybe, someday, in the fullness of time, there will be a greater understanding and a more true democracy.\" Yet from 1975 to 1978, \u003cem\u003eBlack Boy\u003c\/em\u003e was banned in schools throughout the United States for \"obscenity\" and \"instigating hatred between the races,\" and continues to remain controversial, coming under the scrutiny of censors today who are banning an alarming number of books.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWright's celebrated autobiography measures the raw brutality of the Jim Crow South against the sheer desperate will it took to survive it while Black. Enduring poverty, hunger, fear, abuse, and hatred while growing up in the woods of Mississippi, Wright lied, stole, and raged at those around him--whites indifferent, pitying, or cruel and blacks resentful of anyone trying to rise above their circumstances. Desperate for a different way of life, he made his way north, eventually arriving in Chicago, where he forged a new path and began his career as a writer. At the end of \u003cem\u003eBlack Boy\u003c\/em\u003e, Wright sits poised with pencil in hand, determined to \"hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo.\" Eighty year later, his words continue to reverberate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the great American memoirs, Wright's account is a poignant record of struggle and endurance--a pioneering literary work that still illuminates our own time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHarper Perennial Olive Editions are exclusive small-format editions of some of our bestselling and celebrated titles, and feature unique hand-drawn cover illustrations\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eAll Olive Editions are available for a limited time only.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWright, Richard:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eBorn in 1908 near Roxie, Mississippi, Richard Wright won international renown for his powerful and visceral depictions of the Black experience. The author of numerous works, he stands today as one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. \u003cem\u003eBlack Boy\u003c\/em\u003e and his novel \u003cem\u003eNative Son\u003c\/em\u003e are required reading in many high schools and colleges across the nation. Wright died in 1960 in Paris, France. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51580259500306,"sku":"9780063458345","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5844d9ba-0ed0-40d2-9345-1428eaaab02e.jpg?v=1756213197","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/black-boy-9780063458345","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}