1819-1891 1908-1960 1909-1984 1925-1965 20thcentury africanamericanauthors africanamericannovelists africanamericanpoliceinliterature africanamericansinliterature afro-americanauthors american americanfiction americanliterature authorship canon(literature) communismandliterature communisminliterature crimeinliterature criminals'writings criticismandinterpretationellison criticismandinterpretationhimes criticismandinterpretationmelville criticismandinterpretationwright detectiveandmysterystories ellison fiction harlem(newyork herman himes history historyandcriticism inliterature intellectuallife interviews interviewshimes malcolm novelists politicsinliterature prisoners prisoners'writings prisonsinliterature ralph richard slaveryinliterature slaves slaves'writings unitedstates victimsinliterature wright x