1981 Questions

1981 Questions In Search of 2017 Answers

( Thirty-nine writers answered the original questions in 1981. Some of those questions have been revised.)

Which writers influenced your decision to write?  Rank them in order of importance.

Do you feel that significant aspects of African American  experiences in the USA have been either  ignored or insufficiently explored in black writing?

Have black writers given sufficient attention to new directions in non-print art?

Have international liberation struggles inspired you to reinvestigate history?

Have black writers created enough literature for children?  Have they created a body of materials that might be used in alternative education systems?

Has black writing served to increase the literacy rate in the USA?

Has gender in the USA had a permanent effect on writing?

Do black readers support black writers?

Have black critics created  a sustainable  environment for the development of black writing?

Is more attention now given to aesthetics than to an aesthetic?

Who were  the most important black  novelists in the twentieth century?

Who are the most important living black poets?

What are the most important collections of poetry published since 1980?

Who are the most important living black playwrights?

What should be priority topics for non-black writers in the twenty-first century?

Jerry W. Ward, Jr.            August 8, 2017