Includes bibliographical references (pages 411-419) and index.

Benston brings together essays, interviews, poetry, and an extensive bibliography representing the best of contemporary critical study of Ellison's craft, philosophy, and ideology. Beginning with the biography, sense of place, and general aesthetics of Ellison, the volume focuses on the interaction between Ellison and his forbears and includes readings of Invisible Man illuminated by consideration of Ellison's cultural vision at large. The contributions reflect the interplay of aesthetic practice and cultural perception, and demonstrate Ellison's central "moral" ideal: "the dialectical mutuality of conscience and craft that enables the artist dare speak for you." The volume includes a discussion of Shadow and Act and examines the influence of Eliot, Dostoevski, Hemingway, and Wright on Ellison. Each section of the book begins with Ellison's own reflections. ISBN 0-88258-169-4: $21.95.

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