Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., "Whose Canon Is It, Anyway"

Henry Louis Gates Jr. (1950- ) was born in Keyser, West Virginia and earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1973, and both an M.A. (1974) and Ph.D. (1979) from the University of Cambridge. Gates has taught at several colleges and universities, and is currently the W.E.B. DuBois Professor of the Humanities at Harvard. His books include The Signifying Monkey: Towards a Theory of Afro-American Literary Criticism (1988), Colored People: A Memoir (1994), Wonders of the African World (1999; also a PBS program) and dozens more as an editor or contributor. Gates publishes frequently in periodicals such as Time magazine, Georgia Review, and The New Yorker. Among his awards and honors are an American Book Award and a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." "Whose Canon Is It, Anyway" examines the increasingly complicated task of selecting a "standard" set of literary works in our increasingly multicultural times. It was first published in the New York Times Book Review in 1989.

CONTENT

1. In what way does Gates see "academic cultural critics" as vain?
2. Why does the author call affirmative action programs "window dressing operations"?
3. Who are William Bennett and Allan Bloom?
4. Name some of the authors Gates read when he was twelve years old.
5. What was the subject of the author's first public performance? How did it turn out?
6. How does the audience react when Gates delivers his structural speech about Frederick Douglass's work?
7. What distinctions does the author draw between academia and the "real world"? What conclusions does he draw from these distinctions?

STRATEGY AND STYLE

1. Discuss this reading as a definition essay. Make sure that Gates's major definition and all the definition's necessary components are clear.
2. Review your answer to the Content question f.) above. In what ways did Gates misread his audience? How might he have avoided this misunderstanding?
3. In paragraph five the author uses a metaphor to compare the analysis of texts to something else. What is the comparison and what visual image does it create?
4. How does Gates draw attention to the word politicized in paragraph thirteen? Why do you think he provides this special emphasis?
5. Compare the introduction and the conclusion. In what ways are the concerns posed by the former answered by the latter?

1. Do you like studying history? Do you agree with Gates's comments that today's students are largely ignorant of the subject? Why does history matter? What did you make of his remark that history is something "we live, and live through"?
2. What were you reading when you were twelve years old? Has that kind of reading stayed with you until today? How can you relate these things with this essay?

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUSTAINED WRITING

1. In paragraph fourteen Gates writes, "Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain, booms the Great Oz of literary history." Explain this reference to The Wizard of Oz as completely as you can, making sure the link from the essay to the film (or book) is clear, and defining who the "men behind the curtain" are.
2. Should there be just one literary canon? Can there be just one? Who should decide?

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Find and study a list of "Great Books." Who compiled it? For what purpose? Whose work is included in the list? Are African, Asian, and Middle Eastern writers represented? How about women writers? Based upon your reading, what might Gates make of the list you've researched?

WEB CONNECTION

Did you know that Gates is very active in television? This is the homepage of his PBS program, Wonders of the African World. The site features links to episodes, a feedback area, and a diary by Gates. Can you use the Internet to find ways to get your hands on some of the episodes?

LINKS

Biographical

Looking for a place to start researching Gates's life? This biography, from the Stanford Presidential Lectures and Symposia in the Humanities and Arts pages, is a great starting point. You'll also find a photo and links there.

This is the biography page for Gates at the National Endowment for the Humanities, where he was the 2002 Jefferson Lecturer. The site also provides other valuable resources, such as an interview, some excerpts, the text of the lecture, and a bibliography.

Want to take a look at a particular aspect of Gates's working life? Click over to his homepage at Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research.

Bibliographical

Read this excerpt from Colored People: A Memoir. What do you make of the title? After reading the excerpt are you prompted to read the whole work? Why or why not? Can you use the Internet to find out if your library has a copy from the computer you're using now?

This Frontline interview has the author discussing the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., his own work at Harvard, and class among Black Americans, among other things.

Let's turn the tables. Here, Gates is the interviewer. Kofi Annan is the interviewee, and the main subject is the new global order. What different perspective did you gain as Gates changed roles in these two cases?

Cultural

The MacArthur Fellowship, sometimes called the "genius grant," is currently set at $500,000, with absolutely no strings attached. Gates won one in 1981. Look at the company he keeps. Who do you recognize on this list?

This essay from the Globe and Mail takes a look at the author's life while examining the topic of racial identity. What did you learn about Gates that you didn't know before reading this piece?

If you'd like to put Gates's work into a broader political context, here is a very good general article about the Civil Rights Movement. It features multimedia links and will help get you started on your research.