James grew up as the first of nine children. ... James Baldwin grew up with his mother, Berdis Jones, and his stepfather, David Baldwin. ... During his younger years James read constantly and slipped away as often as he could in order to go to the movies and even to plays. ... Baldwin finished Go Tell It on The Mountain, a novel that stood as a autobiography of his younger years. ... His first two works that dealt with his racial heritage were Tell It on the Mountain and The Amen Corner. ...

• Word Count: 2515
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

The Works of James Baldwin We are responsible for the world in which we find ourselves, if only because we are the only forces that can change it. James Baldwin was born in Harlem on August 2, 1924. ... "James Baldwin's most valuable quality as a writer is authenticity" (Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 2, pg. 31). ... Baldwin finished his long-awaited first book, Go Tell It On The Mountain, during a stay in his companion's Swiss hometown, and published it in 1953. ... Published in 1968, Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone, is a bitterly incisive account of Amer...

• Word Count: 2618
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School