About
Ralph Ellison, born March 1, 1914, in Oklahoma City, was a major American writer of the 20th century. He studied music at Tuskegee Institute before moving to New York in 1936, where he connected with Langston Hughes and Richard Wright. His novel 'Invisible Man' (1952) won the National Book Award in 1953, a first for an African American writer. He also published two essay collections, 'Shadow and Act' (1964) and 'Going to the Territory' (1986). He taught at several universities, including New York University, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. He died in New York on April 16, 1994.
* 1914-03-01 — † 1994-04-16
Major works
- Invisible Man (1952)novel
- Shadow and Act (1964)essays
- Going to the Territory (1986)essays
- Juneteenth (1999)novel
- The Collected Essays of Ralph Ellison (1995)essays
Key milestones
- 1953Wins the National Book Award for 'Invisible Man', becoming the first African American writer to receive this honor.
- 1969Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the United States.
- 1994Dies in New York on April 16, from pancreatic cancer.
Themes
African American identitySocial invisibilityRacism and discriminationJazz and American cultureIndividualism and society
Sources: loc.gov · nationalbook.org · read.gov