Beyond Douglass: New Perspectives on Early African-American Literature

Editors White (English, U. of Florida) and Drexler (English, Bucknell U.) and eight contributors provide a collection of essays intended to encourage communication between teachers of American literature and specialists who focus on early African American writing. The essays examine recently recovered texts and innovative scholarly approaches and promote revising our understanding of the rich body of African American literature. The book warns against premature canonization and a disconnect between scholarship and teaching. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)