Ishmael Reed

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
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
# Title Year
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
# Title Year
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
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
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 2008
5 Afro Asia 2008
6 Reel Verse 2019
7 Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering 2024