The Autobiography of LeRoi Jones

Poet, dramatist, novelist, critic, teacher, and political activist Amiri Baraka, born LeRoi Jones, vividly recounts his crusading role in African American literature.

A driving force behind the Black Arts Movement, the prolific Baraka retells his experiences from his participation in avant-garde literature after World War II and his role in Black nationalism after the assassination of Malcolm X to his conversion to Islam and his commitments to an international socialist vision. 

When The Autobiography of LeRoi Jones was first published in 1984, the publisher made substantial cuts in the copy. Under the careful direction of the author, the book has been restored to its original form. This is the first complete and unexpurgated version of Baraka's life and work.

Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) was the author of numerous books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. He was named poet laureate of New Jersey by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, from 2002-2004. His short story collection Tales of the Out & the Gone (Akashic Books) was a New York Times Editors' Choice and won a 2008 PEN/Beyond Margins Award. He is also the author of Home: Social Essays, Black Music, The System of Dante's Hell, and Tales, among other works.

• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books (March 1, 1997)
• Language: ‎English
• Paperback: ‎496 pages
• ISBN-13: ‎9781556522314
• Item Weight: ‎1.5 pound
• Dimensions: 6.0 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• BISAC Categories: Biography & Memoir