James Baldwin — I'm writting for people, baby (Meeting the man)

From Meeting The Man : James Baldwin in Paris. Directed by Terence Dixon United Kingdom, France, 1970.

[joeodd]

This man should be an entire semester or a year-long class in every high school, if not college in America. Imagine how many dangerous, passionate young minds he would inspire?

[invisiblemanmusic]

Every time I watch a James Baldwin interview it seems like the person interviewing him is a child and he is instructing them on how to be an adult.

[franksmith]

“The world is held together by the love and passion of a very few people.”

The older I get, the more I find myself believing this I’m afraid

[SewerTapes]

I could listen to James Baldwin talk all day. Just a deeply intelligent human being. More people should be listening too.

[AmberShockley]

He speaks off the cuff the way playwrights, when trying to create lasting, profound art, write people speaking.

[BebehCookieIcecream]

God bless James's soul, wherever it flows. People simply don't speak with this level of compassion or insight anymore and, if they do, it falls unceremoniously on deaf ears.

[cardion]

His brilliance. His brilliance. His brilliance.

[jackhaggerty]

James Baldwin was described by his first biographer James Campbell as *the most intelligent man I ever met* and *a born genius*.
I would add that he was also the most gifted American writer of his time and a truer patriot than any of his detractors.

[mr.purple]

He is the definition of brutally honest. When you have experienced a life similar to his you tend to be that way.

[mikebasil]

Very powerful words: Everyone you’re looking at is also you. Thank you, James.

[briiibrii]

I wish I knew about James Baldwin earlier he is such an inspiration to me and I usually don’t have any inspirational people

[Zwarhol]

“This world is held together by very few loving people” never have I heard truer words than this

[knutthompson]

He was so eloquent. His words are art.

[Heroics]

Finally the full video with no over dramatic piano or whatever blaring over it

[georgepate]

The first time I heard of James Baldwin, I was 16 years old. I was in my high school literature class. We read the book, "Go tell it on the Mountain" It was an amazing story. We enjoyed the book .

[Poemsapennyeach]

An exceptional man. Hugs to you in Heaven J.B.

[newhorizonsforfifty]

The part about "where would I go?" reminds me of Gil Scott Heron's poem "On Running."

[randysalgado]

I’m reading If Beale Street Could Talk my very first time reading James Baldwin and his lyricism truly is beautiful

[polneko]

where would a fleeing black man go? he came to istanbul and he was so happy here im so glad he spent good days i love him so deeply

[Peter-ewbq]

How I mourn this scintillatingly brilliant and inspirationally courageous (and deeply ethical) man to this day. I began reading his novels and essays many years ago as an adolescent, and I met him briefly when he came to London to deliver a talk at the ICA, not too long before the world lost his living genius. I remain as inspired today by his example as I was as a youngster, perhaps moreso. Thank you for sharing this brief sequence of his moving, eloquent, compassionate fury.