Go Tell It on the Mountain is Baldwin's seminal novel exploring the experiences of African Americans in the United States.

Notes of a Native Son is Baldwin's acclaimed essay collection that delves into racial issues.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is another pivotal novel addressing the status of black individuals in American society.

Mexico City Blues (1959) by Jack Kerouac is a novel with a lyrical quality, crafted in the style of jazz music. Kerouac, a prominent figure in the Beat Movement, was part of a group of New York City writers in the 1940s and 1950s who drew inspiration from Harlem's atmosphere, bebop jazz, blues, and drug culture.