Mary, Wayfarer: An Autobiography

Continuing the candid autobiography begun in her first book, Mary, Mary Mebane offers an uncompromising account of what it was like to be black, highly educated, and independent in the South during the 1950s and 1960s. She recounts her years as a high school teacher, college instructor, Ph.D. student, and finally, professor. Despite her achievements, Mebane is haunted by the belief that she will never really be accepted in any community, black or white. Mary, Wayfarer chronicles Mebane's struggle to create meaning in her life, her pride as a participant in and observer of the black freedom struggle, her encounters with such important figures as Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Malcolm X, and her joy upon finally discovering what she calls "the gulf stream" of her life, writing.