🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About John Edgar Wideman
In 1963, John got his bachelor’s degree in English and went to New College of Oxford University to study Philosophy under a Rhodes scholarship. It was at Oxford University that John Edgar Wideman studied eighteenth-century narrative techniques. It would not be until he published “Damballah,” a short story collection in 1981 that he grew into his learned, mature, and distinctively black style, which switches between the profane and the sublime a high literary mode, and an earthy vernacular. He has since made a reputation for penning stories that depict African American experiences in the cities in which they live. Wideman is currently a University of Massachusetts English professor.
All Book Series by John Edgar Wideman
The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction
Book 2 of 7 · published 1999
The O. Henry Prize Stories 2019
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2019
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is John Edgar Wideman?
In 1963, John got his bachelor's degree in English and went to New College of Oxford University to study Philosophy under a Rhodes scholarship. It was at Oxford University that John Edgar Wideman studied eighteenth-century narrative techniques. It would not be until he published “Damballah,” a short story collection in 1981 that he grew into his learned, mature, and distinctively black style, which switches between the profane and the sublime a high literary mode, and an earthy vernacular.
Which John Edgar Wideman series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Homewood series, the earliest of John Edgar Wideman's multi-book series: it opens with Sent for You Yesterday (1981) and runs to 3 books across 1981–1984, ending with Damballah (1984).
How many books has John Edgar Wideman written?
John Edgar Wideman has 36 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1973 and 2025. 4 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Homewood series with 3 books — and 32 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should John Edgar Wideman's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. John Edgar Wideman's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Homewood (1981–1984, 3 books) and Best American Short Stories (2002, 1 book).
How are John Edgar Wideman's books organised into series?
This guide splits John Edgar Wideman's 36 books into 2 named series and 32 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Homewood (3 books, 1981–1984); Best American Short Stories (1 book, 2002).