"To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time." -- James A. Baldwin
What a profoundly brilliant man. His work is so alive, so relevant and so full of feeling, its almost heartbreaking to read it because I can feel his vulnerability -- and ultimately, my own. It stultifying to think that he wrote Go Tell It On The Mountain when he was 18 years old. Yet as an essayist, I can't think of anyone that could shine brighter, with an intelligence and an insightfulness that some have described as frightening.
There's a reason why his essays aren't commonplace in this country. Still and all, it's pretty cool that he's on a postage stamp.
Happy birthday, Jimmy. You are sorely missed.
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