When first released in 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man was published by a small firm, and the market for books by and about African Americans was small; it did not sell well or attract much critical attention. Reviewers debated whether the book was fact or fiction and how realistic its story was. In 1913, Brander Matthews included The Autobiography in an analysis of "Three Books Which Depict the Actualities of Present-Day Life" for Munsey's Magazine. Writing for a white audience, Matthews recommended the book for all "who want to understand our fellow citizens of darker hue." He wondered whether the anonymous story should be considered fiction or "an actual record of fact," and concluded that it "contains what is higher than actual fact, the essential truth." The Nashville American, a daily newspaper, accepted the.....
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