The Man Who Cried I Am (2023)
by John A. Williams

Rediscover the sensational 1967 literary thriller that captures the bitter struggles of postwar Black intellectuals and artists. With a foreword by Ishmael Reed and a new introduction by Merve Emre about how this explosive novel laid bare America’s racial fault lines, The Man Who Cried I Am takes readers on a gripping journey.

Max Reddick, a novelist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter, has spent his career grappling with the challenges of race in America. Now facing a terminal illness, he embarks on a final trip to Europe to settle old debts and attend the funeral of his friend and mentor, Harry Ames. In Amsterdam, Max uncovers secret government documents outlining a plan called "King Alfred" that aims to suppress racial unrest. As Max realizes Harry has been assassinated, he must risk everything to deliver the documents to the one person who can make a difference.

Published in 1967, The Man Who Cried I Am explores a range of experiences rarely depicted in American fiction. From the life of a Black GI to the turmoil of postcolonial Africa, and from an insider’s perspective on Washington politics during the era of segregation and the Civil Rights Movement to fictionalized portrayals of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X, John A. Williams weaves a complex and powerful narrative.

This long-overlooked masterpiece challenges the boundaries between fiction and reality. In her introduction, Merve Emre delves into the novel’s provocative marketing campaign that caused confusion and led to an FBI investigation. This deluxe paperback edition also features a new foreword by novelist Ishmael Reed, making it a must-read for those seeking a profound and thought-provoking literary experience.

"It is a blockbuster, a hydrogen bomb … . This is a book white people are not ready to read yet, neither are most black people who read. But [it] is the milestone produced since Native Son. Besides which, and where I should begin, it is a damn beautifully written book." —Chester Himes

"Magnificent … obviously in the Baldwin and Ellison class." —John Fowles

"If The Man Who Cried I Am were a painting it would be done by Brueghel or Bosch. The madness and the dance is never-ending display of humanity trying to creep past inevitable Fate." —Walter Mosely