Balwin and Colson on Homosexuality

James Baldwin is one of the most influential writers of the 20th Century. His novel Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone, he writes about a young man who is meant to be reflective of himself (Baldwin) in his thoughts, interactions, and his ideas. Essentially he addresses all of the issues associated with being a black male in the media “spotlight” of America. The fact that the main character of the novel was black and in the spotlight in the middle portion of the 20th Century provides for a good plot in and of itself. When Baldwin throws in the twist of being a homosexual the issues mentioned above become amplified and everything becomes that much more complicated. This novel introduced a new type of black man to white and black America. Of course there were gay black...