Languages of Home: Essays on Writing, Hoop, and American Lives 1971-2025
John Edgar Wideman
Nov 2025 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by David Sadzin
headphones
Audiobook
14 hr 29 min
Unabridged
family_home
Eligible
info
Want a free 9 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
In this first-ever collection of nonfiction by John Edgar Wideman, a “towering figure in American literature” (The Nation), five decades of cultural and literary criticism paint a vivid portrait of America’s changing landscape and chronicle the emergence and evolution of a generational talent.
“Wideman is a writer of titanic skill.” —4Columns
John Edgar Wideman, acclaimed since the early 1970s for his award-winning fiction and memoirs, has long been engaged in a project to redefine the wondrous and appalling power of his country’s literary culture and history. Now, in this collection assembled by the author from his extensive body of long-form journalism, this volume goes beyond mere compilation. Its challenging, insightful critical essays tell the story of a nation in transition—from the shame of legalized human slavery, to the civil rights movement, to the rise of the Obama era, and beyond.
Originally featured in publications such as Esquire, Vogue, and The New Yorker, these narratives explore the elusive cores of American culture, politics, and identity. For the first time, readers may see and judge for themselves how Wideman has proven himself a luminous witness of America’s history and one of the essential literary voices in contemporary literature.
“Wideman is a writer of titanic skill.” —4Columns
John Edgar Wideman, acclaimed since the early 1970s for his award-winning fiction and memoirs, has long been engaged in a project to redefine the wondrous and appalling power of his country’s literary culture and history. Now, in this collection assembled by the author from his extensive body of long-form journalism, this volume goes beyond mere compilation. Its challenging, insightful critical essays tell the story of a nation in transition—from the shame of legalized human slavery, to the civil rights movement, to the rise of the Obama era, and beyond.
Originally featured in publications such as Esquire, Vogue, and The New Yorker, these narratives explore the elusive cores of American culture, politics, and identity. For the first time, readers may see and judge for themselves how Wideman has proven himself a luminous witness of America’s history and one of the essential literary voices in contemporary literature.
In this first-ever collection of nonfiction by John Edgar Wideman, a “towering figure in American literature” (The Nation), five decades of cultural and literary criticism paint a vivid portrait of America’s changing landscape and chronicle the emergence and evolution of a generational talent.
“...
Discover more
About the author
John Edgar Wideman’s books include, among others, Languages of Home, Slaveroad, Look for Me and I’ll Be Gone, You Made Me Love You, The Homewood Trilogy, American Histories, Writing to Save a Life, Brothers and Keepers, Philadelphia Fire, Hoop Roots, and Sent for You Yesterday. He won the PEN/Faulkner Award twice and has twice been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and National Book Award. He is a MacArthur Fellow and a recipient of the Lannan Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. He divides his time between New York and France.
John Edgar Wideman’s books include, among others, Languages of Home, Slaveroad, Look for Me and I’ll Be Gone, You Made Me Love You, The Homewood Trilogy, American Histories, Writing to Save a Life, Brothers and Keepers, Philadelphia Fire, Hoop Roots, and Sent for You Yesterday. He won the PEN/Fau...
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
