The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin

If there’s one thing all readers should know, it’s this: any time spent with James Baldwin is well worth it. 

In two essays framed as letters — “My Dungeon Shook” and “Down at the Cross” — Baldwin deconstructs the long-lasting repercussions of racism, and the ways religion has been used to oppress. 

That’s a highly simplified way of describing the subject matter, but let’s just say there are very few people - whether white or Black, believer or agnostic - who would not find his words difficult to stomach. However, Baldwin’s testimony is as urgent and necessary today as it was in the 1960s. 

I was impressed with how honest and unabashed the commentary was. No words are minced. No popular ideas of the time free of his critical gaze. While many of the examples are deeply personal, there was still objectiveness in his well-constructed arguments – clearly designed to appeal to the mainstream white audience he sought to reach. 

As someone who has only previously read his fiction (“Giovanni’s Room” and “Another Country”), this felt like a good introduction to his non-fiction, as it was a mix of personal anecdotes, cultural commentary and historical perspective. 

What surprised me most, was how prescient it is. It’s almost as if Baldwin took a time machine to 2020, and wrote “Fire” to warn us about what was to come if we didn’t learn to love and respect ourselves and each other. 

From well-meaning white people not speaking up to correct an injustice to explaining how Russia would become a global force through fear, it is frustrating to recognize that while there have been some improvements, 60 years after its publication much of what is described in “Fire” still rings true. 

Rating (story): 4/5 stars

Rating (narration): N/A

Formats: eBook (personal library)

Dates read: February 23 – February  25, 2023

Multi-tasking: N/A