Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

Glaude is strongest when adapting and applying the words of Baldwin to our times--especially comparing the similarities of the Trump era and the Age of Reagan for example. His notes at the end thanking his students for being open with their anxieties about the times show that he's a keen listener. He's also amazing at taking not just quotes from Baldwin, but the life of the man, his trauma, and his personality, and talking about what we can learn from it. The section at the end, where he looks for Baldwin's grave, makes me think that Eddie could do a remarkable piece of journalism if he wanted. It only loses steam as even with the wealth of research he did (from films, interviews, other books, etc.), at times the book ventures a bit too heavily into guessing about Baldwin's inner thoughts. But that's a minor criticism. This is worth reading.… (altro)