Ishmael Reed

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Ishmael Scott Reed (born February 22, 1938) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, editor, and publisher who is best known for his satirical contributions to American political culture.

Perhaps his best known work is Mumbo Jumbo (1972), a sprawling and unorthodox novel set in 1920s New York that has been ranked among the top books in the Western canon, despite their cultural roots; his energy and advocacy have increasingly focused on marginalized people and cultures, regardless of their cultural roots;

Personal life

Reed married Priscilla Thompson in 1960. Timothy (1960–2021), their daughter, was born the same year. Reed and Thompson were then divorced. Carla Blank, a writer and tutor, has been married to writer and tutor Carla Blank since 1970. Tennessee's daughter, Sarah, is also an author.

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Life and career

Reed was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During the Great Migration, his family migrated to Buffalo, New York, as a child. Reed attended the University at Buffalo after attending local schools. Reed dropped out of college in his junior year for various reasons, but mostly because he felt he needed a new atmosphere to promote his writing and music.

He said of this decision:

In 1995, the college gave him an honorary doctorate.

Reed has said: Whenever speaking to his influence, he has said: 'I'm talking about his influence's:'

Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, George Schuyler, Bruce Nugent, Countee Cullen, and Arna Bontemps are among the Harlem Renaissance writers whose work Reed has expressed admiration for.

Reed immigrated to New York City in 1962 and co-founded the East Village Others with Walter Bowart, which became a well-known underground magazine. He was also a member of the Umbra Writers Workshop, with some of whom members helped pioneer the Black Arts Movement and promoted a Black Aesthetic. Though Reed never took part in the movement, he has continued to investigate black Americans' roots. He coined the phrase "Neo-Slave tale" in Reginald Martin's "A Conversation with Ishmael Reed" in 1984. Reed also established links with musicians and writers like Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, and Albert Ayler, which all contributed to Reed's burgeoning obsession with jazz and his love for music.

Reed moved to Berkeley, California, where he taught for 35 years. He is currently a Distinguished Professor at California College of the Arts, having been retrenched from there in 2005. Carla Blank, a well-known author, choreographer, and director, lives in Oakland, California.

Timothy Reed, his late father, dedicated her semi-autobiographical book Out (Thunder's Mouth Press, 2003) to him. The University of Delaware's Special Collections holds his archives. Ishmael Reed: An Exhibition Curated by Timothy D. Murray was on display at the University of Delaware Library from August 16 to December 16, 2007.

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