Each wellorganized book has interesting color and blackandwhite illustrations, reproductions, and photographs. The confessions of nat turner novel by styron britannica. To some he is a hero, a symbol of black resistance and a precursor to the civil rights movement. Kyle bakers nat turner details the life story of the famous insurrectionist who led an attack on white slave masters and their families on august 21, 1831, in southampton county, virginia. The confessions of nat turner themes william styron this study guide consists of approximately 61 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the confessions of nat turner. Kyle baker has authored more than 15 graphic novels and illustrated. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Kyle bakers contemporary vision of nat turner island of spice. The confessions of nat turner book by william styron. In my research i learned that this is accomplished by destroying the slaves mind. The most widely held belief is that the pair had 2 or 3 children 1 daughter and 1 or 2 sons. His cartoons have appeared in the new yorker, national lampoon. I bought and read this book because of three reasons.
To find the market value for this book, click on the prefilled ebay, abebooks, or biblio links to the right and look for comparable listings that have all of these first edition points. It wasnt until i encountered a twopage retelling of turners life in the. Kyle baker does a decent job of keeping a quick pace throughout the course of the entire graphic novel. Review kyle baker sheds light on an overlooked portion of american history, the 1831 slave rebellion led by nate turner, which resulted. Baker provides some end content that reinforces the story, including an image of the crowded conditions in slave ships, further reading, and discussion questions for classes. Kyle john baker is an american cartoonist, comic book writerartist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series plastic man. More effective than whips and guns was the simple act of outlawing the teaching of slaves to read and to write kyle baker, nat turner. Kyle baker is an awardwinning cartoonist, comic book writerartist, and animator known for his graphic novels including why i hate saturn and nat turner and. Kyle bakers contemporary vision of nat turner island of. Kyle john baker born 1965 is an american cartoonist, comic book writerartist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series plastic man. Whites organized militias and called out regular troops to suppress the uprising. Feb 17, 2006 kyle bakers contemporary vision of nat turner kyle baker is at it again. The confessions of nat turner by nat turner free ebook.
Deeply religious from childhood, turner was a natural preacher and possessed some influence among local slaves. Nathaniel turner was born on october 2, 1800, in the county of southampton, virginia. As the illustrated pen publishes a selection from the reissue of my book on nat turner, i want to offer some thoughts on the context. A pioneer in the graphic novel format since the 1980s, baker helped define and evolve the medium with works such as nat turner, why i hate saturn, and king david. Told nearly wordlessly, every image resonates with the reader as the brutal story unfolds.
After viewing the film, students can compare and contrast the versions of the story presented in the film to kyle bakers version. Education opens with a slave realizing something is amiss might it be. About the author 2007 kyle baker, winner of both the harvey award and the eisner award, is the creator of thirteen graphic novels. The unique narrative format of bakers graphic novel presents many.
The confessions of nat turner the leader of the late insurrections in southampton, va. Baker used very little dialogue in nat turner, instead telling the story through images and excerpts of turners confession. The confessions of nat turner book won the pulitzer prize for fiction. Along with mat johnsons incognegro 2008, bakers comic nat turner 20052007 has become a canonical example of african american literature in comics. Kyle john baker born 1965 is an american cartoonist, comic book writerartist, and animator. Towards the beginning of nat turnera graphic novel fantastically about the great slave rebelkyle baker portrays the young turner retrospectively prophesying about the horrors of the middle passage. William styron had the misfortune to publish the confessions of nat turner in the late 1960s. For 180 years, the truth of nats story has been tainted. The story of nat turner and his slave rebellionwhich began on august 2. Kyle bakers nat turner and the cultural imagination one exciting aspect of graphic novels or comic books is that readers are able to consume two. Oct 07, 2016 understanding the gospel of nat turner. Narrative of the life of frederick douglass, an american slave, written by himself. Kyle baker does a decent job of keeping a quick pace throughout the course of. Historians vary anywhere between believing she had 1 to 3 children.
A fictional account of the virginia slave revolt of 1831, the novel is narrated by the leader of the rebellion. Gray, in the prison where he was confined, and acknowledged by him to be such when read before the court of southampton. Nat turner 18001831 was known to his local fellow servants in southampton county as the prophet. In nat turner, acclaimed author and illustrator kyle baker depicts the evils of slavery in this moving and historically accurate story of nat turners slave rebellion. Nathanial nat turner 18001831 was a black american slave who led the only effective, sustained slave rebellion august 1831 in u. They respond to this ingenious and aptly horrendous book with mouths agape in awe of the tale. In this post, we take a closer look at nat turner by kyle baker. Kyle baker has taken some of his classic works to the internet for free and we have a handy guide to what you. It is widely believed that cherry did have children, but it is undetermined how many. While i respect the opinions shared in the wellwritten analysis by rpaul2, i find myself disagreeing with almost everything that rpaul2 said i agree that nat turner is a complex book. In 2006, his company, kyle baker publishing, serialized a four part comic book series about nat turner, and published the series the bakers.
In nat turner, acclaimed author and illustrator kyle baker to some he is a hero, a symbol of black resistance and a precursor to the civil rights movement. Nat was born into slavery and ran away at the age of 22. Acclaimed author and illustrator kyle baker depicts the evils of slavery in this moving and historically accurate story of nat turners slave rebellion. Nat turner by kyle baker meet your next favorite book. Reading nat turner, kyle baker gives a sense of how turner life was when he was a boy living in his village all the way up to his death. List of books and articles about nat turner online research. Kyle baker goes digital with classic work for free. In the beginning of the book, baker focuses on a woman and how her facial emotions changed quickly, from angry, happy and then scared 12. Kyle bakers book takes most of its text from thomas ruffin grays book, the confessions of nat turner, which included extensive interviews with turner during his trial and before his execution. Nat turner was the leader of a violent slave rebellion in southampton county, virginia, in 1831. Nat turner is a miniseries about the life of an american. Royers statements apply to american slaves frederick douglass and nat turner beyond their ability to read and write, and advance to scriptural literacy. Baker has won numerous eisner awards and harvey awards for his work in the comics field.
Jun 15, 2006 i bought and read this book because of three reasons. Nat turner october 2, 1800 november 11, 1831 was an enslaved africanamerican preacher who led a fourday rebellion of both enslaved and free black people in southampton county, virginia, beginning august 21, 1831. Eisner, harvey, and glyph award winner kyle baker offers the most salient and increasingly studied depiction of prophet nat in decades. Nov 29, 2008 a book trailer for the graphically told tragedy of nat turner and the impact of slavery. Turner, on the other hand, learned how to read as a child, and his bible was the book that he knew intimately. Born a slave in maryland, douglass published the first edition of his autobiography in 1845. Thejuxtapositionof bakersimagesandgraystextisoftencomplementary,butmoreoften, baker. Over the next 36 hours, they were joined by as many as 60 other slaves and free blacks, and they killed.
The confessions of nat turner, novel by william styron, published in 1967 and awarded the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1968. Nat turner, 18001831, american slave, leader of the southampton insurrection 1831, b. Its been years since i picked up a comic book, but reading this and interviewing kyle baker was a fantastic experience. Kyle baker is an awardwinning cartoonist, comic book writerartist, and animator known for his graphic novels including why i hate saturn and nat turner and for a 2000s revival of the classic series plastic man. The university, one of the few allnegro institutions in the north, was named after william wilberforce, the great british abolitionist of slavery, and so i marked the special appropriateness of this honor when i accepted the invitation a few weeks earlier. Styron based the confessions of nat turner on a pamphlet of the same title published in virginia shortly after the revolt, but he took many liberties in. Kyle bakers contemporary vision of nat turner by james ainsworth on february 17, 2006 0.
Nat turner provides an example of a slaves life and will enhance a unit on slavery. The speaking slave corpse and kyle bakers graphic novel. The timing was such that styron had the odd experience of a being awarded the pulitzer prize for the book and b being shunned by many, black and white, for having had the temerity to put himself in the mind of a black slave when he himself was a white southerner. Mirrors, masks, and mazes in the autobiographical graphic novel from university press of mississippi. William styrons the confessions of nat turner is a lengthy book organized into four chapters, three of which take biblical allusions for titles. Nat turner died on november 11th, 1831 which placed him at the age of 31 when he died. On the evening of sunday, august 21, 1831, he met six associates in the woods at cabin pond, and about 2. The resurrection of nat turner read the book, learn the. Furthering the issue, claims about nat turner are difficult to verify.
Baker won eisner and harvey awards yet again for this innovative storytelling. His art illustrates passages from the book, or interprets common episodes in the lives of slaves. The author spent countless hours poring through historical documents to provide a framework for this fictional novel, in which william styron attempts to imagine what kind of man nat turner really was. The plantation owner, benjamin turner, and his brother samuel, owned nats mother. As if his renown as an animator, cartoonist, illustrator and one the comic industries finest artists werent enough, the multitalented writer is turning his prodigious creative energies to writing a graphic novel about the infamous slave rebellion leader nat turner. Nat turner rebellion, showcasing that theres not only one view on turners life and the fateful events of the day of his attack. Life of a female bibliophile exploring lifes wonders. The author is showing how quick your life can change. Home culture, music, entertainment comedy kyle bakers contemporary vision of nat turner. The young slaves who make up his audience are our readerly counterparts.
The confessions of nat turner tells the story of an actual slave uprising organized by a slave named nat turner in the year 1831. The speaking slave corpse and kyle bakers graphic novel nat. Along with mat johnsons incognegro 2008, bakers comic nat turner 20052007 has become a canonical example. Jul 01, 2008 the story of nat turner and his slave rebellionwhich began on august 21, 1831, in southampton county, virginiais known among school children and adults. Kyle baker has authored more than 15 graphic novels and illustrated hundreds more in a career that extends over three decades. Intertextuality and the historical graphic narrative. Nats childhood was very educational, he learned to read and write at an early age. Kyle baker believe a book about independence should be released independently away from his usual publishers of dc comics and marvel. By analogy it serves as the causal origin for the turner rebellion. He is the winner of eight eisner awards and four harvey awards, among others. Nat turner was an africanamerican slave born in southampton county, virginia. Every image resonates in this nearly wordless graphic novel that collects all four issues of baker s miniseries for the first time.
Acclaimed author and illustrator kyle baker depicts the evils of slavery in this moving and historically accurate story of nat turner s slave rebellion. Every image resonates in this nearly wordless graphic novel that collects all four issues of bakers miniseries for the first time. With the certificate, under seal of the court convened at jerusalem, nov. Awardwinning author sharon ewell foster reinterprets history to offer a new american story of one mans struggle for freedom and the redemption of his people. List of books and articles about nat turner online. Read an excerpt from kyle bakers graphic narrative biography of nat turner here. Mar 12, 2005 the confessions of nat turner the leader of the late insurrections in southampton, va. In 2005 he selfpublished nat turner, a powerful fourissue miniseries about slavery and the slave rebellion that nat turner led. Twentyfive years ago this november, i found myself in ohio, where i was being awarded an honorary degree at wilberforce university. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Nov 07, 2019 nat turner was the leader of a violent slave rebellion in southampton county, virginia, in 1831. Jun 01, 2017 nat turner is a powerful book, one that will likely make readers feel uncomfortable as they confront the violence of slavery. A book trailer for the graphically told tragedy of nat turner and the impact of slavery. He led the most famous slave rebellion against the white slave owners in 1831.