The Fire Is upon Us

In The Fire Is upon Us, Nicholas Buccola explores the historic 1965 debate between civil rights advocate James Baldwin and conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr., set against the backdrop of America’s racial divide. The book delves into the contrasting backgrounds and ideologies of Baldwin and Buckley, highlighting their fierce intellectual clash on the topic of the American dream and its implications for African Americans. Buccola examines how this moment not only shaped their legacies but also continues to resonate in contemporary discussions about race and politics in America.