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Cecil Brown

セシル・ブラウン

Cecil Brown

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1943-07-03 （Bolton, North Carolina, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Bolton, North Carolina (birthplace) → Berkeley, California (residence/work) → Greensboro, North Carolina (education)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Educator, Screenwriter, University Professor
Active Years
1969-
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (faculty)

Education

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Department of English
Degree: B.A. (English)
Year of Graduation: 1966
Country: United States
Columbia University (attended)
Country: United States
Attended; degree not specified in source
University of Chicago
Degree: M.A.
Year of Graduation: 1967
Country: United States
University of California, Berkeley
African American Studies, Folklore and Narrative
Degree: Ph.D.
Year of Graduation: 1993
Country: United States
Ph.D. in African American Studies, Folklore and Narrative

Awards

Professor John Angus Burrell Memorial Prize (Columbia University English Dept.)
1966
Organization: Columbia University English Department
Result: 受賞
American Book Award
1984
Work: Days Without Weather
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation
Result: 受賞
Berlin Literary Fellowship
1985
Organization: Berlin (fellowship)
Result: 受賞
Besonders Wertvoll Film Prize
1986
Organization: Awarding body (Germany)
Result: 受賞
Mentor Fellowship
1992
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Life and Loves of Mr. Jiveass Nigger

1969 Novel (satire / experimental)

An early novel using black humor and experimental narration; satirically addresses race, identity, and American culture.

RaceIdentitySatire

Pryor Lives

1969 Non-fiction / Essay

Work concerning Richard Pryor; deals with comedian culture and representations of Black America.

ComedyProfileCultural critique

Days Without Weather

1983 Short fiction / Novel

A collection of short and medium-length pieces focusing on urban life, relationships, and history.

Urban lifeMemoryInterpersonal relationships

I, Stagolee

1993 Historical fiction / Folklore

Takes the legendary Southern figure Stagolee (Stagger Lee) as subject, weaving folklore and history.

FolkloreLegendHistory

Stagolee Shot Billy

2003 Short fiction / Folk literature

A short collection revisiting the Stagolee legend with a blend of oral tradition and contemporary narration.

FolkloreViolenceOral tradition

Dude, Where's My Black Studies Department?

2007 Essay / Commentary

Essays and commentary on Black Studies and academia, including critique of educational institutions.

EducationAcademiaAfrican American studies

Bibliography

  • The Life and Loves of Mr. Jiveass Nigger (1969)
  • Pryor Lives (1969)
  • Days Without Weather (1983)
  • Coming Up Down Home (1993)
  • I, Stagolee (1993)
  • Stagolee Shot Billy (2003)
  • Dude, Where's My Black Studies Department? (2007)
  • Journey's End (2007)

Adaptations

  • Which Way Is Up? (screenwriter involvement, 1977)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Black humorExperimental narrationColloquial voice
Recurring Motifs
Race and identityFolklore and oral traditionSatire of American culture

Legacy

Cecil Brown is known for black humor and folkloric interests in his writings, influencing African American literature and studies of oral tradition. He is recognized both as a creative writer and as an educator.

In Popular Culture

  • Has connections to film and comedy culture through work related to Richard Pryor
  • Serves as a reference point in African American literary and oral tradition studies

Trivia

  • Contributed as a screenwriter to the 1977 film Which Way Is Up?.
  • Has long served as a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley.
  • Notable early work: The Life and Loves of Mr. Jiveass Nigger (1969).