The Fire Next Time

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Who was James Baldwin and how did he approach his work as a writer? Additionally, how did his writing influence other Black writers and, by extension, American literature and culture?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to provide students with a guided notetaking sheet to gather their thoughts before engaging in discussion. The sheet might include space for biographical details about Baldwin himself and guiding questions regarding his impact and influence on his contemporaries. These and similar resources may offer context and information.

• “James Baldwin Biography” - This short article from American Masters (PBS) describes Baldwin’s life and work as a writer and activist and the influence he had on Black American literature.
• “James Baldwin: His Voice Remembered; Life in His Language” - Toni Morrison wrote this memorializing obituary in The New York Times after Baldwin’s death in 1987. In it, she celebrates not only Baldwin and his life and work, but the influence he had on many other Black artists, Morrison included.

2. The Fire Next Time was first published in 1963. What significant events occurred in 1963 in the civil rights movement, and how does an understanding of these events provide context for Baldwin’s intention and message in The Fire Next Time?

Teaching Suggestion: It might be helpful to give students some brief context for the civil rights movement, such as key events in the mid-1950s that propelled the movement to what it would become in the early 1960s (such as Brown v. Board of Education, the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, and the murder of Emmett Till).

• “Key Events in 1963 History” - This resource explains the significance of 1963 as a pivotal year in the civil rights movement and provides information on many important events from the year.

Short Activity

The Fire Next Time begins with the following epigraph: “God gave Noah the rainbow sign, no more water, the fire next time!” This quote is a lyric from a slave song and refers to the biblical story of Noah and the Ark. Investigate resources relevant to the epigraph and the story of Noah’s Ark. Using the following guiding questions, engage in a discussion with a small group.

• What is the tone of the epigraph? What does it mean for God to send “the fire next time”? What does this foreshadow?
• How does this epigraph help set the context for Baldwin’s commentary on race, racism, and American society?
• Consider Aaron Douglas’s painting entitled Noah’s Ark. How does this painting capture the tone of the epigraph? What specific stylistic choices help emphasize this?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might benefit from a short summary of the biblical story of Noah, the flood, and the Ark. There are likely to be varying degrees of familiarity with the story, depending on students’ own personal experiences with the Old Testament. Brief context for Aaron Douglas may be helpful as well, in that he was an influential artist during the Harlem Renaissance and used his paintings to comment on the Black American experience.

• “The Fire Next Time” - This short article was published in The New York Times in 1963 after the publication of Baldwin’s book. It discusses Baldwin’s purpose and intention, using the book’s epigraph as a starting point.
• “Noah’s Ark, 1927 - Aaron Douglas” - This image shows Aaron Douglas’s painting Noah’s Ark. Created in 1927, Douglas uses his trademark style to explore the story of Noah and the Ark, working within the context of the Harlem Renaissance.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who benefit from support in organizing their thoughts, a graphic organizer for reactions and responses might be helpful. This organizer might provide space for notes for each resource, plus space to record thoughts for each guiding question. Students who benefit from support or strategies in speaking aloud in a group may find the organizer helpful as well, as it provides a written record of their ideas and understanding.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

The Fire Next Time opens with “My Dungeon Shook,” an epistolary essay in which Baldwin addresses his young nephew. In his letter, Baldwin attempts to provide his nephew James with context, wisdom, and guidance concerning his identity as a young Black man in America in 1963. Write an epistolary journal entry or short narrative to a person you know. This will take the shape of a letter, but not necessarily one that the recipient will actually read. Consider what you want to put into words concerning that person: Can you offer guidance or wisdom? Is there a topic you want or need to process? Is there a secret you want to share?

Teaching Suggestion: While this activity can address topics that are deeply significant and/or heartfelt, students’ topic choices might instead regard more mundane or simple ideas that can be expressed well in a letter. (William Carlos Williams’s “This is Just to Say” is an example of a short and simple poem written as a note.)