Book description
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s original, groundbreaking study explores the relationship between the African and African-American vernacular traditions and black literature, elaborating a new critical approach located within this tradition that allows the black voice to speak for itself. Examining the ancient poetry and myths found in African, Latin American, and…
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Why read it?
1 author picked The Signifying Monkey as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
The Signifying Monkey is the groundbreaking theoretical study of the role of folklore in African American literature.
I could not put it down when I first read it. It was required reading for my literature students. I have probably quoted it in at least four essays. Gates is, of course, the leading scholar of African American literature. He set the standard for all of us who write and teach in this field.
From Daryl's list on African American folklore.
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