Questioning the American Dream: A Conversation between James Baldwin and Audre Lorde

In 1984, Essence magazine published a conversation between James Baldwin and Audre Lorde in which they debate the sources of intra-racial violence, the politics of difference, and the responsibilities Black men and women owe to one another. As a Black man, Baldwin maintains his belief in the American dream, while Lorde, as a Black woman, does not: “Deep down I know that dream was never mine.”

Drawing inspiration from their conversation, this course stages a dialogue between two authors who lent their literary voices to confronting issues of racist injustice in America during the latter half of the twentieth century, each in their divergent ways. We will explore Lorde’s womanism and Pan-Africanism in her poetry, essays, and speeches, as well as her biomythography Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (1982). Likewise, we will read selections of Baldwin’s poetry, short stories, and essays (“Notes of a Native Son” and “The Fire Next Time”) for how they address a Black masculinity in crisis.

Matthew Helm is a visiting instructor from the University of Iowa.