Light in August by William Faulkner is a story about three character's lives-Joe Christmas, Lena Grove, and Rev. Gail Hightower- blended to show the consistent struggles. A theme of Light in August, a man's past experiences mold his present and future, is concentrated on Joe Christmas and his rac...

Maud Martha Gwendolyn Brooks was a black poet from Kansas who wrote in the early twentieth century. She was the first black woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize. Her writings deal mostly with the black experience growing up in inner Chicago. This is the case with one of her more famous work...

Uncle Hammer is very much adored by the Logan children. 'We swayed with excitement, then as if by signal we both cried "Uncle Hammer!" and dashed into his arms.' He spends Christmas season with the Logan's and brings gifts for the children. They always look forward...

Earl Graves was a young black boy who grew up in the tough neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyuesant Brooklyn. He was born in the late 1930's his first venture came at the tender age of seven. He was selling Christmas cards door to door. He was inspired by his father who was a salesman who was very g...

Eudora Wetly wrote a short story about an old Negro woman who came up in the days of the Civil War. The old Negro woman's name is Phoenix Jackson and she lives out on the Natchez Trace. This is around the time of slavery and blacks were still being treated badly. Phoenix was depicted as an i...

Black writers play a major role in our literature today. Maya Angelou's work began a new era for blacks everywhere. She wrote an autobiography called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This book was written in the time period during the depression, just before the war. She has also written po...

Theme for English B "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes, is a poem about an assignment given to a student by his teacher to write a one-page paper about himself that captures who he is. The student then responds to this assignment by giving a brief biography, such as where he lives a...