Description
Signed first edition of Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note by Amiri Baraka.
Octavo, 48pp. Original paper wraps, title in black on front cover, $1.25 retail price on front cover. Solid text block, sunned along edges, a few pen marks to rear cover. Faint dampstain along fore edge, no impact to text. Previous ownership inscription to front endpaper.
Inscribed: “For Doug / Amiri Baraka” on the title page.
LeRoi Jones (1934-2014), later known as Amiri Baraka, was an American poet, playwright, and activist. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he became a leading figure in the Beat Movement before transitioning to Black nationalism and later Marxism. His works, including the play Dutchman (1964) and the poetry collection The Dead Lecturer (1964), explored themes of race, identity, and politics. In 1965, he founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School, a cornerstone of the Black Arts Movement. Baraka’s writing and activism often sparked controversy for its confrontational tone, but he remained a significant voice in American literature and political discourse.
