Ellison, Ralph
1913-1994 · Contribution: 1952
Literature & Writing
Author of 'Invisible Man,' winner of the 1953 National Book Award

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Quick facts
- Born
- 1913-1994
- Category
- Literature & Writing
Impact on the world
Ellison fused modernist craft with the depths of Black American experience, producing a novel that reshaped how the nation understood invisibility and identity.
Sources
- Britannica
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