Summertime … and the Living Ain’t Easy: Black Noir

The Marxist Education Project’s Literature Group continues its summertime tradition of reading noir fiction: the popular American crime genre that explores the corruption of society – and, in our selected books by Black writers – corruption in the workplace, in unions, and among workers. “Mystery fiction written by Black authors is, not surprisingly, often very different from work in that broadly defined genre written by white writers.” –Black Noir

We will read these four books:
If He Hollers, Let Him Go by Chester Himes
A Red Death by Walter Mosley
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
The Man Who Changed Colors by Bill Fletcher Jr.

Full book descriptions and a reading schedule are available here.

Convened by Jacqueline Cantwell, who became involved with the MEP’s Literature Group because of her love of Victor Serge’s novels. Participating in an MEP reading group led by Serge translator Richard Greeman seven years ago, Jacqueline found a community of readers eager to be challenged by the ambitions of international writers devoted to the creative potential of political fiction. Since the death of Michael Lardner, who hosted and organized the Literature Group for so many years, she has taken the lead in furthering the group’s goals of exploring international fiction and encouraging thoughtful conversation.