title: Free Within Ourselves: Fiction Lessons for Black Authors
author:  Jewell Parker Rhodes 
description: Sure, Jewell Parker Rhodes is African American. Many of the writing traditions to which she refers in <i>Free Within Ourselves</i>--the slave narrative, trickster legends--are specific to African American culture. The resonant works of short fiction, reprinted here in their entirety, that she uses to illustrate fictional elements were written by such African Americans as Zora Neale Hurston, Charles Johnson, Toni Cade Bambara, and John Edgar Wideman. The 67 authors whose pearls of writing wisdom bring this book to its fine conclusion are all African American. Rhodes even bills her book as "fiction lessons for black authors." So why should the rest of us bother?
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  [ABOUT THE AUTHOR](contents.xhtml#c_ata)
  
  
  ![image](../images/author-photo.jpg)
  
  
  [JaQuavis
  Coleman](http://us.macmillan.com/author/jaquaviscoleman?utm_source=ebook&utm_medium=adcard&utm_term=ebookreaders&utm_content=jaquaviscoleman_authorpage_macdotcom&utm_campaign=9781466893146)
  is a prolific writer from Flint, Michigan, and is known for his witty street
  tales that depict the street/urban lifestyle. His clever storytelling ability
  gives readers a perspective from a young street hustler, and the authenticity
  is evident. In 2013 he was honored by Ebony magazine as being one of the top
  100 most influential African Americans in the country. He’s the author of the
  Dopeman series and the Cartel series with Ashley Antoinette Coleman. You can
  sign up for email updates
  [here](http://us.macmillan.com/authoralerts?authorName=jaquaviscoleman&authorRefId=110561098&utm_source=ebook&utm_medium=adcard&utm_term=ebookreaders&utm_content=jaquaviscoleman_authoralertsignup_macdotcom&utm_campaign=97814