By Benjamin Brawley (Editor). Early Black American Writers. From the earliest published work in 1761 through the Civil War years, this informative anthology provides a valuable overview of Black literature during the period. Varying in background and skill, from self-taught slave to college-trained professor, the writers of this collection were among the most important early shapers of Black American culture: Banneker, Douglass, Delany, many others. Dover Publications (2011), English, Paperback: 336 pages.