Going to the territory

Going to the Territory is Ellison's second collection of essays and speeches, published in 1986. It brings together pieces on writers such as Richard Wright and Hemingway, on music and musicians, on painting and on the shaping of American identity. Ellison also reflects on his Oklahoma upbringing and on the idea of the territory as a place of freedom and uncertainty. His tone is conversational but searching, and he keeps returning to the way American culture is a blend of many traditions. The collection shows his mature thinking on art, history and democracy.