Introduction

[Vershawn Ashanti Young]

Jari,

I might be able to help you a little bit.  I, too, am interested in drama as
discourse.  And I was going to do my dissertation on the dramatic literature
of James Baldwin, but I have decided against it. Although I probably will do
something later.  Anyway, my knowledge of drama as discourse in situated
within African American drama, beginning with the Harlem Renaissance era, the
Arts and Letters movement of the "New Negro."  In fact, I did my MA thesis on
the dramatic discourse of the Harlem Renaissance and the theories that framed
that discourse.  The two theories that advanced theater and dramatic
literature was W.E.B Du Bois's Inner Life theory and Alaine Locke's Outer Life
theory.  W.E.B.  Du Bois saw the dramatic literature as a medium to forward
propaganda about racism and the African American situation.  Alain Locke saw
the theatre as a medium where African Americans could advance their artistic
talents and enjoy the theatre without regard to outside misinterpretation or
propaganda.  There are several texts that talk about this, including my MA
thesis which is call:_Outer Life Versus Inner Life: The Dramatic Literature of
the Harlem Renaissance_  It was published at the university, and it is
available on microfiche.  The school is Northeastern Illinois University
(Chicago).  And I am Vershawn Ashanti Young.

Let me know if this is useful and I will personally send you information
(privately).

Good Luck.

Vershawn


In a message dated 2/24/99 5:35:08 AM Central Standard Time,
leo170863 at HOTMAIL.COM writes:

<< Iisalmi, Finland 24th February, 1999

 Hello all,

 I am a post-graduate student of the English Department in the University
 of Jyvaskyla, Finland, althopugh I reside in Iisalmi, where I am
 currently working as a teacher of English, drama and
 substance abuse at a social and health polytechnic.

 The area of my interest is drama as the target of discourse analysis
 in the field of cultural studies. My topic is James Baldwin's
 controversial play "Blues for Mr. Charlie" (1964), in which I am
 reading race and gender in conflicts between its main characters. I am
 currently trying to find both literature dealing with drama as discourse
 (haven't found any so far) and, more importantly a third reader for my
 future Doctorate, who should come from outside our Department. I am
 currently in the process of starting to write the first draft of the
 Thesis and would welcome all the help I could get.

 Yours sincerely,

 Jari Kokkinen
 leo170863 at hotmail.com

 or

 leo63 at saunalahti.fi

  >>