Ralph Ellison was the first African American author to win the National Book Award. Here are quotes from Ellison on race, identity and humanity. Skip to main content Skip to footer site map.

Writers dream of finding the acclaim that Ralph Ellison received when his first novel, "Invisible Man," was published. Winner of the National Book Award in 1953 -- the same year Hemingway's "The ...

Ralph Ellison’s classic 1952 novel has influenced not just writers but photographers, sculptors and painters, all grappling with what it means to be seen. A self-portrait by Ralph Ellison from ...

Monday marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Ellison, whose landmark novel “Invisible Man” made “invisibility” a metaphor for our inability to see each other’s full humanity.