Ralph Ellison's reputation spans the spectrum from prophet and cultural hero, to an Uncle Tom who betrayed his race, as well as for having the longest and most publicised writer's block in history. Arnold Rampersand's biography of the Afro-American author of 'Invisible Man', tells how Ellison came to write his masterpiece and how he struggled to write another. Access to previously unpublished papers and letters reveal Ellison's inner life and the sense of failure and insecurity he felt towards the end of his life.
