Robert S. Levine Livres

William Wells Brown’s Clotel (1853), the first novel written by an African American, was published in London while Brown was still legally regarded as "property" within the borders of the United States. The novel was inspired by the story of Thomas Jefferson’s purported sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. Brown fictionalizes the stories of Jefferson’s mistress, daughters, and granddaughters — all of whom are slaves — in order to demythologize the dominant U.S. cultural narrative celebrating Jefferson’s America as a nation of freedom and equality for all. The documents in this edition include excerpts from Brown’s sources for the novel — fiction, political essays, sermons, and presidential proclamations; selections that illuminate the range of contemporary attitudes concerning race, slavery, and prejudice; and pieces that advocate various methods of resistance and reform.

The most trusted anthology for complete works, balanced selections, and helpful editorial apparatus, The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Ninth Edition, features a cover-to-cover revision. General Editor Robert Levine and the four period editors—three of whom are new to the team—have reenergized the anthology. Fresh scholarship, NEW authors and topical clusters, a NEW ebook, and an enriched instructor site make the Norton Anthology an even better teaching tool for instructors and an unmatched value for students.

Read by more than 2.5 million students over 30 years, The Norton Anthology of American Literature sets the standard and remains an unmatched value.