Book Review: James Baldwin’s ‘The Fire Next Time’ remains relevant

I hate to admit that until listening to The Fire Next Time (Vintage Books, 1962) I had neither read nor listened to any of Jame Baldwin’s writings.

I have no good reason for this reality. Clearly, it’s never too late to read or listen to works that are now historical.

This is really a long essay as opposed to a more complete book. It’s all of 128 pages and about 2.5 hours recording.

The writing is more like a snap in time, a quick memoir, a prelude of things to come. It’s an introduction of sorts to the man.

What was depressing about the book is how relevant Baldwin’s words are today—more than 60 years later. How racial strife is still with us. How the plight of Black people isn’t more evolved. How white people still believe they are superior. How we are still talking about inequities in real time and not something relegated to the past.

The book is worth reading even if you think you’ve heard it all before.

The civil rights activist and writer died in 1987 at age 63.