Al Young is his own man, refusing to go along with anybody's trend or latest survey: he is a black American in the American tradition of the singular individual. His art is dedicated to the destruction of glib stereotypes of black Americans. Not surprisingly, his work illustrates the complexity and richness of contemporary Afro-American life through a cast of highly individualized black characters. Since he is a gifted stylist and a keen observer of the human comedy, he manages to be both a serious and an entertaining author.

Albert James Young was born on 31 May 1939 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast near Biloxi and New Orleans. His parents were Albert James, a musician and auto worker, and Mary Campbell Young. He lived in various parts of rural Mississippi, including a small town called Pachuta, where he stayed with his grandparents in a house without running water...