Ishmael Scott Reed is an American poet, essayist, and novelist whose works challenge political and cultural oppression through sharp satire. A prominent figure in African-American literature, he is best known for novels such as "Mumbo Jumbo" and "Flight to Canada," which critique systemic injustices while celebrating marginalized perspectives. His writing often blends historical revisionism with avant-garde techniques, earning him recognition as one of the most provocative voices in contemporary literature.
Reed's career spans decades, marked by his unflinching exploration of race, power, and American identity. His satirical approach exposes societal hypocrisies while amplifying underrepresented narratives, not limited to African-American experiences but extending to all oppressed communities. Beyond fiction, he has contributed influential essays and poetry, solidifying his reputation as a multifaceted intellectual. Reed's works remain essential to discussions on cultural politics and literary innovation.
Standalone Novels
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Free-Lance Pallbearers
1967
2
Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down
1969
3
Mumbo Jumbo
1972
4
The Last Days of Louisiana Red
1974
5
Flight to Canada
1976
6
The Terrible Twos
1982
7
Reckless Eyeballing
1986
8
The Terrible Threes
1989
9
Japanese by Spring
1993
10
Juice!
2011
11
Conjugating Hindi
2018
12
The Terrible Fours
2021
13
The Man Who Haunted Himself
2022
Plays
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Mother Hubbard
1979
2
The Wild Gardens of the Loup Garou
1981
3
Savage Wilds
1988
4
Hubba City
1989
5
The Preacher and the Rapper
1995
6
C Above C Above High C
1997
7
Gethsemane Park
1998
8
Body Parts
2007
9
The Plays
2009
10
The Final Version
2013
11
Life Among the Aryans
2018
12
The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda
2019
13
The Slave Who Loved Caviar
2021
14
The Conductor
2023
Poetry Collections
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
catechism of d neoamerican hoodoo church
1970
2
Cab Calloway Stands in for the Moon
1970
3
Conjure
1972
4
Chattanooga; Poems
1973
5
A Secretary To The Spirits
1977
6
New and Collected Poems, 1964-2006
2007
7
Why the Black Hole Sings the Blues
2020
Non-Fiction Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Shrovetide In Old New Orleans
1978
2
God Made Alaska For The Indians
1982
3
Writin' Is Fightin'
1988
4
Airing Dirty Laundry
1993
5
Another Day at the Front
2002
6
Blues City
2003
7
Mixing it Up
2008
8
Barack Obama and the Jim Crow Media
2010
9
Going Too Far
2012
10
The Complete Muhammad Ali
2015
11
Why No Confederate Statues in Mexico
2019
12
Malcolm and Me
2020
Ishmael Reed Anthologies
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
I Am the Darker Brother
1968
2
The Invention of Ethnicity
1989
3
Breaking Ice
1990
4
Pow-Wow: Charting the Fault Lines in the American Experience - Short Fiction from Then to Now