UGA professor authors 'Educator’s Guide to James Baldwin'

Penguin Random House published "An Educator’s Guide to the Works of James Baldwin," written by Ed Pavlić, Distinguished Research Professor of English, African American Studies and Creative Writing in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of English.

The "Educator's Guide" is a product of Pavlić's work with the James Baldwin Estate and the Estate's relationship to Random House as Baldwin's major publisher. In honor of his centennial year (Baldwin was born August 2, 1924), the Estate and Random House cooperated to underscore the signal importance of Baldwin's work. Those efforts included a podcast series (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-baldwin-100/id1753982226) and redesigned centennial editions of major works by Baldwin in fiction and nonfiction. Pavlić contributed expert commentaries to each podcast episode, as well as an episode ("His Work Isn't Relevant, It's Permanent" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-baldwin-100/id1753982226) focused on his experience with Baldwin's life and legacy. 

In addition, based on his on-going scholarly work, Pavlić authored an original overview of Baldwin's life and work touching upon the newly released centennial editions. Thus, the "Educator's Guide to the Work of James Baldwin" presents a thumbnail critical biography of Baldwin providing nuanced historical contexts and precision critical approaches to key features of Baldwin's most important works. 

"Offering a new itinerary across the full range of Baldwin's life and career, the "Educator's Guide" updates and improves our understanding of an American artist of global importance in order to move beyond 20th century misapprehensions and release the transformative power of Baldwin's work in ways attuned to 21st century experience as well as certain enduring blessings and burdens in the human condition," Pavlić said.

Image: James Baldwin in front of his typewriter at his home in Saint Paul de Vence, France. March 15, 1983. AP/File.