First Person Past: American Autobiographies, Volume 2

The novelist William Dean Howells described autobiography as the most democratic of American literary genres. Autobiography has offered a voice to women, African Americans, Native Americans, and others whose writings have often been excluded from the literary canon. The men and women presented here observed, shaped, or participated in many of the most exciting and important events of American history. First Person Past lets them speak for themselves.

From the hundreds of American autobiographies, the editors have chosen twelve for each of Volumes I and II of First Person Past because they are interesting history and good literature. Their literary and historical virtues have been preserved as edited for inclusion in each volume.

Introduction.

1. Sufferings of the Rev. T. G. Campbell and His Family, in Georgia: Tunis Gulic Campbell.

2. Black Elk Speaks: Black Elk.

3. Autobiography: Andrew Carnegie.

4. Up from Slavery: Booker T. Washington.

5. The Promised Land: Mary Antin.

6. Autobiography of Mother Jones: Mary Jones.

7. Confessions of a Reformer: Frederic C. Howe.

8. The Story of a Pioneer: Anna Howard Shaw.

9. Bound for Glory: Woody Guthrie.

10. Nisei Daughter: Monica Sone.

11. Coming of Age in Mississippi: Anne Moody.

12. Born on the Fourth of July: Ron Kovic.

Bibliography.

Russell Duncan is a professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Marian Morton is a professor at John Carroll University.