James Baldwin (Censorship (Ready Reference series))

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Prior to publication of Baldwin’s first short story, “Previous Condition” in Commentary in 1948, a number of words were deleted because his editor feared that they would violate obscenity laws. Thus began Baldwin’s struggle against censorship. Most of his subsequent work was affected by censorship either before or after publication. Alfred A. Knopf agreed to publish his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), but after suppressing several passages that his editor deemed obscene. Baldwin acquiesced, but later regretted doing so and...

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