The Fire This Time

James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time was one of the essential books of the sixties and one of the most galvanizing statements of the American civil rights movement. Now, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, with a new generation confronting what Baldwin called a "racial nightmare", acclaimed writer Randall Kenan asks: How far have we come? Starting with W. E. B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King, Jr., Kenan expands the discussion to include many of today's most powerful personalities, such as Oprah Winfrey, O. J. Simpson, Rodney King, George Foreman and Barack Obama. Combining elements of memoir and commentary, this homage is a piercing consideration of the times, and an impassioned call to transcend them. 'Kenan demands attention.' — Observer 'A talented young novelist and short-story writer... What makes Kenan...so unusual is his willingness to look beyond the usual places.' —The New York Times 'Kenan continues Baldwin's legendary tradition of telling it on the mountain.' — San Francisco Chronicle 'A perfect catalyst for lively discussion, and a fine state-of-the-issues update on Baldwin's 45-year-old touchstone.' — Publishers Weekly