About this item
A biography of Charles Chesnutt, one of the first American authors to write for both Black and white readers.In A Matter of Complexion, Tess Chakkalakal gives readers the first comprehensive biography of Charles W. Chesnutt. A complex and talented man, Chesnutt was born in 1858 in Cleveland to parents who were considered "mixed race." He spent his early life in North Carolina after the Civil War. Though light-skinned, Chesnutt remained a member of the black community throughout his life. He studied among students at the State Colored Normal School who were formerly enslaved. He became a teacher in rural North Carolina during Reconstruction. His life in the South of those years, the issue of race, and how he himself identified as Black informed much of his later writing.
About the Author
teaches African-American and American Literature at Bowdoin College. Her writing has appeared in , and many others. She is the author of (Illinois UP, 2011) and co-editor of (University of Georgia Press, 2013) and (West Virginia UP, 2022) . She is co-host and creator of the award-winning podcast . She lives in Brunswick, Maine.
