RALPH ELLISON In His Own Words, Interview

This clip, a selection from a 1970 interview with Dorcas Speer archived by Iowa State University, was shown at the Ralph Ellison Foundation’s annual Gala celebration in 2020 as part of its ongoing series “Ralph Ellison: In His Own Words.” Prompted by a question about how winning the National Book Award for Fiction in 1953 affected his writing life, Ellison reflects on the reception of his novel Invisible Man, the dangers of being pigeonholed, and his relationship with literary criticism.