AUTHORS: John F. Callahan and Marc C. Conner
The Selected Letters of Ralph Ellison is an encyclopedic collection of 60 years of correspondence, ranging from the 1930s to 1993, the year before Ellison’s death, and running to more than 1,000 pages.
Ellison was best known for his novel Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953.
“Admittedly, the size of the book is a bit daunting. Fear not. It is a treasure trove for scholars and general readers alike,” said Saidiya Hartman in a review for The New York Times.
It is “organized by decade and each section is preceded by a short essay introducing the significant themes in Ellison’s life and writing. These framing essays are critical for navigating this massive volume, as are the annotations accompanying the individual letters,” said Hartman.
“The collection offers an intimate portrait of the writer and intellectual: The friendships made and lost; the rich exchange of ideas with the novelists, critics and philosophers who formed Ellison’s inner circle; and the herculean effort required to complete Invisible Man,” said the review.
