About
A prominent African-American author and scholar, he is best known for his novels, Dreamer (1998) and Middle Passage (1990), which detail black life in America. His other works include such non-fiction titles as The Joy of Being Buddhist: Dharma Essays and Stories and Black Men Speaking.
Before Fame
He studied journalism at Southern Illinois University and SUNY-Stony Brook. He also worked as a political cartoonist.
Trivia
He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Family Life
He was born in Evanston, Illinois. He later taught for many years at the University of Washington.
Associated With
He and Paul Foster have both received Guggenheim fellowships.
