About EllisonRalph Waldo Ellison was born in Oklahoma City on March 14, 1914. He was named after the famous author, Ralph Waldo Emerson, by his literature loving father. From a young age, he had a special interest in music, and studied to become a composer. He moved to New York City, and the environment there was perfect to nurture the artistry within Ellison. He fell in love with the city, and moved there. It was there that his writing career began.
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His HistoryMany African American writers wrote social criticism, but Ellison wrote rather for the sake of art. He did not set out to write a "black novel," but rather to explore literature in itself. "I wasn't and am not concerned with injustice but with art." It was once said that he did not wish to be known as a black writer, but simply as a great writer.
"Too much has been written about racial identity instead of what kind of literature is produced. Literature is colorblind," Ellison said, "and it should be read and judged in a larger framework." |