1. Samuel R. Delany Dhalgren

2. Biography Born April 1, 1942 in New York City's Harlem, where he grew up This setting was the inspiration for Dhalgren, for as he describes, "in the late '60s and early '70s, almost every major city in the country developed a kind of burned- out inner city...[which] became the kind of fundamental image gallery for the novel."

3. Biography 2 Attended the Bronx High School of Science, and in the early 1960s, City College of New York (now City University of New York) Known as the black gay SF author In 1988, he accepted a position at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he taught as professor of Comparative Literature

4. Biography 3 In July of 2002 he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Currently teaches English and Creative Writing at Temple University in Philadelphia Won the Nebula Award, the Hugo Award, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award for his work in SF, as well as the William Whitehead Memorial Award for a lifetime's contribution to gay and lesbian literature

5. Criticism and Analysis Perhaps, the longest attempt at a "prose-poem" in existence Media-Free, but combining elements of popular culture “The Greening of America” Pornography is that which gives me an erection Why is Dhalgren so long?

6. Questions Why does Delany include such graphic and often crude portrayals of sex in this novel? Is the lack of linearity important? If so, how? (i.e. the repeated passages in the notebook and the novel itself, the ostensible lack of time) Rape in Bellona is presented in a very strange light. What is the purpose of this particular presentation, other than making the reader feel uncomfortable? Is it vehicle for Delany to sort through race and gender issues? One of the most frequent criticisms of Dhalgren is the lack of a real plot; nothing happens. Is this true, and if so – does it impede or strengthen Delany’s political messages?