Discuss Ralph Ellison's posthumous novel "Juneteenth"

Best known for "The Invisible Man," Ellison is an incisive writer who described the social invisibility of African Americans and the amibiguous legacies of emancipation. We'll think about the meaning of the holiday together, through the lens of Ellison's second novel.

Exploring the contradictions of freedom for Black Americans, "Juneteenth" follows the lives of a preacher and his adopted son Bliss, who goes on to become a United States senator only after repudiating his upbringing and passing for white. Ellison spent the last decades of his life working on the novel, leaving it incomplete at the end of his life in 1994. Ralph's friend and executor John F. Callahan edited and published "Juneteenth" in 1999.

We'll talk about the history of the novel along with its vernacular style and prescient themes. Borrow a copy here.

REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED.

For more information, please contact Cherrydale Library at 703-228-6330.

• Location campus Cherrydale Library
• Audience:
  • Events for Adults
  • Good for Adults Age 55+
• Categories:
  • Book Discussion