Book description
James Baldwin first wrote about homosexuality in his famous early
novel, Giovanni s Room. Here he brings homosexuality and race
together in the story of the great gospel singer Arthur Montana.
Arthur was found dead in the basement of a London pub at the age of
thirty-nine, yet he lies on in this memoir. Written by Hall, his
brother and manager, it is in part a subtle and moving study of the
treacherous ebb and flow of memory.
Set against a vividly drawn background of the civil rights movement
of the sixties, Just Above My Head explores how Arthur
discovers his love for Jimmy - 'with his smile like a lantern and a
voice like Saturday nights - and portrays how profoundly racial
politics can shape the private business of love.
Born in Harlem in 1924, Baldwin had an early career as a teenage
preacher. He lived in Paris from 1948-1956 and his first novels, the
autobiographical GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN and GIOVANNI'S ROOM
established him as a promising novelist and anticipated some of the
themes of his later works, such as racism and sexuality. He became a
prominent spokesperson for racial equality, especially during the civil
rights movement. He lived in France during his last years. Baldwin died
in 1987.
