Book excerpt: Richard Wright's "The Man Who Lived Underground"

In the early 1940s Richard Wright, who'd just written the celebrated "Native Son," submitted his manuscript for "The Man Who Lived Underground," an indictment of police brutality. His publisher rejected the novel, and it would ultimately appear in truncated form as part of a posthumous short story collection, "Eight Men."

Now, for the first time, the full novel is being published by Library of America, and its message could not be more relevant to the times.

Read an excerpt below.

The door of the police car swung open quickly and the man behind the steering wheel stepped out; immediately, as though following in a prearranged signal, the other two policemen stepped out and the three of them advanced and confronted him. They patted his clothing from his head to his feet.

"He's clean, Lawson," one of the policemen said to the one who had driven the car.

"What's your name?" asked the policeman who had been called Lawson.

"Fred Daniels, sir."

"Ever been in trouble before, boy?" Lawson said.

"No, sir."

"Where you think you're going now?"

"I'm going home."

"Where you live?"

"On East Canal, sir."

"Who you live with?"

"My wife."

Lawson turned to the policeman who stood at his right. "We'd better drag 'im in, Johnson."

"But, mister!" he protested in a high whine. "I ain't done nothing..."

"All right, now," Lawson said. "Don't get excited."

"My wife's having a baby..."

"They all say that. Come on," said the red-headed man who had been called Johnson.

A spasm of outrage surged in him and he snatched backward, hurling himself away from them. Their fingers tightened about his wrists, biting into his flesh; they pushed him toward the car.

"Want to get tough, hunh?"

"No, sir," he said quickly.

"Then get in the car, goddammit!"

He stepped into the car and they shoved him into the seat; two of the policemen sat at either side of him and hooked their arms in his. Lawson got behind the steering wheel. But, strangely, the car did not start. He waited, alert but ready to obey.

"Well, boy," Lawson began in a slow, almost friendly tone, "looks like you're in for it, hunh?"

From "The Man Who Lived Underground" by Richard Wright. © Julia Wright and Rachel Wright. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

      
For more info: 

• "The Man Who Lived Underground" by Richard Wright (Library of America), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon and Indiebound