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Their dark appeal, undisputable talents, blazing notoriety and even miscarriages of justice, have inspired the creativity of numerous writers and artists throughout the years. These “bad” men are the subject of the new book penned by Howard Rambsy II, PhD, professor in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of English Language and Literature. 

“Bad Men: Creative Touchstones of Black Writers,” Rambsy’s second book, was published this month by University of Virginia Press. 

“Since 2000, black men — many of whom were perceived as bad, insubordinate, or troubling — motivated astonishing output from African American writers. Paul Beatty, Tyehimba Jess, Adrian Matejka, Kevin Young, and the late Amiri Baraka, to name some, concentrated on legendary and disreputable cultural figures as they composed literary works,” wrote Rambsy. “Those writers were of course extending longstanding practices among African American storytellers and artists who have been moved to share captivating tales of bad men for hundreds of years now. The sheer number and high quality of works on bad men produced during the 21st century signal how elemental those figures are to creativity.” 

As Rambsy studied and taught African American literature, he became fascinated with the recurring patterns of bad men and vulnerable black boys in the work of various writers. The professor also received inspiration from the more than 500 first-year black male students that he has taught at SIUE since 2004. 

“I thought it was important to highlight, document, and share what I was witnessing,” he explained. “In the process of researching and writing about the subject, I also became immersed in the field of creativity research. So, I had the opportunity to merge African American literary studies with this subject of study where scholars were investigating the nature of creativity."

One example Rambsy offers in his book is Huey Freeman, a black boy character in the American adult comic strip and animated sitcom. 

“What difference does it make that one of the most recognizable and prevalent bad black male figures in the late 20^th century and early 21st century was an afro-wearing, 10-year-old, black boy militant comic strip character?” wrote Rambsy. “The Boondocks reached hundreds of thousands, if not millions of readers each day, and McGruder’s main character, Huey, inevitably became a pop-culture icon. He was a black, pint-sized, well-read, aspiring revolutionary.” 

“I’m hoping that this book will prompt new awareness about the kinds of muses or artistic inspirations that motivate African American writers,” reflected Rambsy. “It takes groups of scholars covering related topics to elevate a subject, so ideally, the work I’m doing will contribute to conversations that merge and advance African American creativity.” 

Photos:
Howard Rambsy II, PhD, professor in the Department of English Language and Literature. 

“Bad Men: Creative Touchstones of Black Writers” was published this month by University of Virginia Press.