James Baldwin and the Short Story

“This fresh and original appraisal of the short stories of James Baldwin from a religious perspective is theologically astute and theoretically deeply grounded. Drawing on thinkers such as Girard and Levinas, as well as the Bible and Christian theology, Ushedo unpacks the intensity of Baldwin’s prose in a series of close readings of his most powerful stories.”


—David Jasper, Professor of Literature and Theology, University of Glasgow, Distinguished Overseas Professor, Renmin University of China





“James Baldwin and the Short Story: Ethics, Aesthetics, Psychogeography is a very impressive and compelling study of Baldwin as a philosopher and religious thinker. An authoritative and thoroughly well-researched book that tackles social and political issues with intellectual rigor, finesse, and sensitivity, it is written in a clear style and will serve as an outstanding resource for interdisciplinary research in literature, theology, and American Social History.”


—Vincent Icheku, London South Bank University, Southwark Campus, Senior Lecturer in the School of Health And Social Care, Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Fellow, Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH), Editor, British Journal of Research





 “Transcending the usual sociopolitical confines of Baldwin scholarship, Ushedo’s study of Baldwin’s short stories examines the neglected religious aspects that characterize these and all his works. Ushedo deftly incorporates a variety of theoretical frames along with theological research to provide new readings of these important stories in which the secular is redeemed by the sacred.”


—Michael F. Lynch, Kent State University





“Just as James Baldwin’s own life encapsulated a struggle with the manifold aspects of the human condition, Ushedo shows brilliantly that his short stories point beyond Baldwin’s political agenda. His thoughtful analysis—which draws on literary theory, philosophy, psychology, and theology—is bound to inspire those who reflect on the good life, as well as on why it may be so difficult to reach it.”


—Jan Deckers, Senior Lecturer in Bioethics, Newcastle University, UK