Shadow & Act. By Ralph Ellison. First Edition, First Printing. Random House. New York, 1964.

Ralph Ellison was one of the most important literary authors and critics of his era. His intellectual career spanned multiple decades, making him one of the most famous Black figures of the mid-twentieth century. He moved across the country and abroad several times, finding himself among fellow literary greats like Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin. His major work, Invisible Man, is considered one of the best novels of the century. Yet in his lifetime, he was equally famous for his essays and public commentary. In this volume, Shadow & Act, Ellison provides a sharp collection of those essays. It was his first book project after the success of Invisible Man. The essays touch on everything from the American literary canon to literary craft to Jazz music to Harlem culture. It is a remarkable look inside Ellison’s wide-ranging expertise and artistic genius. Shadow & Act can also be read as a sort of autobiography as it contains lots of information about Ellison’s lived experience. It is often considered one of the best works of non-fiction from the twentieth century. For any Ellison collector, it is an essential volume. This first edition, first printing is in very good condition. In the original cloth, near-fine with only fading to bottom edge. Text block near-fine, only foxing and soiling to edges. In the original dust jacket, very good with only minor soiling to back panel, minor chipping and bumping to back panel, and creases and chipping to spine ends. A very good first edition of Shadow & Act.