Walking in the Dark - James Baldwin, my Father and Me

On Wednesday evening we welcomed Douglas Field (OS) back to Shrewsbury for a Dialogues talk with students of English Literature A Level.

Douglas is Professor of American Literature at the University of Manchester, but also has a long association with Shrewsbury School; his father – Richard Field - was a former English teacher, Housemaster of Ridgemount and Registrar; Douglas himself was a student at Shrewsbury in the late 1980s and a member of Oldham’s.

Having published work on American Cold War culture, JFK, Harold Norse, Jack Kerouac, Zora Neale Hurston, Tom Waits, William Burroughs, film noir, jazz and Pentecostalism, Douglas is very well placed to share some of his knowledge with our students, many of whom are currently studying American novels.  Over the last 15 years his research has focused particularly on the American writer James Baldwin (1924-1987).

We enjoyed listening to him read from his book, "Walking in the Dark - James Baldwin, My Father, and Me". This short, but powerful book, contains a fascinating and moving insight into Douglas' father's decline into dementia, alongside a commentary on the significance and influence of Baldwin's life and writing.  The evening began with an overview of Baldwin's life and work, including his connections to Richard Wright, followed by some discussion of what dementia is which was of interest to many. The questions that followed were varied and plentiful, focusing on the process of writing and editing, as well as ideas about unconscious bias and the way personal experiences influence meaning.

Kristina Leslie, Head of English