Baldwin’s Books
Famous Quotes
Life and Legacy
Themes and Topics
Places and Travels
100

Which Baldwin novel follows the story of John Grimes, a young boy growing up in Harlem? 

A) If Beale Street Could Talk
B) Go Tell It on the Mountain
C) Giovanni’s Room
D) Notes of a Native Son

Go Tell It on the Mountain

100

“Not ______ that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

100

What did James Baldwin's friends call him?

A. Jimbo

B. Jimmy

C. Jay

D. Jim

Jimmy

100

Which theme, reflecting Baldwin’s struggles with faith, is a central topic in Go Tell It on the Mountain?
A) Family
B) Religion
C) Justice
D) Wealth

Religion

100

In which New York City neighborhood was James Baldwin born and raised?
A) Brooklyn
B) Harlem
C) The Bronx
D) Queens

Harlem

200

In which Baldwin novel does an American man named David struggle with his sexuality while living in Paris?


A) If Beale Street Could Talk
B) Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone
C) Giovanni’s Room
D) Another Country

Giovanni’s Room

200

_____ is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be.

Freedom is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be”
― James Baldwin

200

When is James Baldwins Birthday?

August 2, 1924

200

Baldwin’s works frequently address the topic of American racial injustice. Which essay collection tackles this theme explicitly?


A) Nobody Knows My Name
B) Giovanni’s Room
C) The Fire Next Time
D) Just Above My Head

The Fire Next Time

200

Which country did James Baldwin move to in 1948 to escape racial prejudice in the United States, where he also wrote many of his works?
A) England
B) Germany
C) France
D) Italy

France

300

Which Baldwin work is set in Harlem and centers around a love story between Tish and Fonny?


A) Just Above My Head
B) The Fire Next Time
C) If Beale Street Could Talk
D) Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone

If Beale Street Could Talk

300

“The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been hidden by the ____.”

“The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been hidden by the answers.”

300

What was the profession of Baldwin's father, which greatly influenced Baldwin's early life?
A) Teacher
B) Preacher
C) Writer
D) Musician

Preacher

300

Baldwin’s examination of the African American experience often focuses on which specific emotion, which he said permeated the lives of Black Americans?


A) Fear
B) Shame
C) Rage
D) Joy

Rage

300

Baldwin was deeply affected by a visit to a country in Africa, where he connected with his heritage and gained insights for his work. Which country did he visit?
A) Ghana
B) Nigeria
C) Kenya
D) Senegal

 Ghana

400

What is the title of Baldwin’s first collection of essays, published in 1955, which includes his reflections on racial and social issues?


A) The Devil Finds Work
B) Nobody Knows My Name
C) Notes of a Native Son
D) The Fire Next Time

 Notes of a Native Son

400

“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their _____ so stubbornly is because they sense, once ____ is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”

“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”

400

 Which of the following was NOT a profession of James Baldwin?

A) Novelist
B) Playwright
C) Film Director
D) Essayist


C) Film Director

400

In his essay Why I Stopped Hating Shakespeare, what does Baldwin argue is the reason he changed his perspective on Shakespeare’s work?


A) He felt Shakespeare's themes transcended race and allowed him to connect with his own identity
B) He began to appreciate Shakespeare's influence on English literature
C) He found Shakespeare’s works to be an escape from racial prejudice
D) He was inspired by Shakespeare’s political views

A) He felt Shakespeare's themes transcended race and allowed him to connect with his own identity

400

Baldwin also spent time in Turkey, where he worked on several of his books. Which city did he live in while in Turkey?
A) Ankara
B) Istanbul
C) Izmir
D) Antalya
 

Istanbul

500

In which essay does Baldwin write a letter to his nephew about the state of racial issues in America?


A) The Creative Process
B) Down at the Cross
C) My Dungeon Shook
D) Stranger in the Village

My Dungeon Shook

500

I can't believe what you say, because I see ___ ____ ____. 

I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.

500

: Which influential event did James Baldwin participate in, where he delivered a powerful speech addressing civil rights and social justice in 1963?

A) Selma to Montgomery march
B) March on Washington
C) Freedom Summer
D) Birmingham Campaign


B) March on Washington

500

In James Baldwin's writings, which theme is frequently explored through the lenses of race, sexuality, and religion?

A) The American Dream
B) The Struggle for Power
C) Identity and Belonging
D) The Nature of Love

In James Baldwin's writings, which theme is frequently explored through the lenses of race, sexuality, and religion?

A) The American Dream
B) The Struggle for Power
C) Identity and Belonging
D) The Nature of Love


Identity and Belonging

500

In which Swiss village did James Baldwin write his famous essay Stranger in the Village, reflecting on his experience as the only Black man in a small European town?
A) Geneva
B) Zurich
C) Leukerbad
D) Interlaken

Leukerbad

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