Notes of a Native Son

Baldwin’s second published book is a collection of his essays that had previously appeared in high-profile literary journals such as Harper’s and Partisan Review. Two essays criticize Richard Wright’s Native Son as a “protest novel” that deals in stereotypes, inadvertently perpetuating the status quo for Black Americans. The critiques had led to a rift between Baldwin and his former mentor; it was not without some irony that Baldwin titled the collection Notes of a Native Son.