Born in a Mighty Bad Land: The Violent Man in African American Folklore and FictionThe figure of the violent man in the African American imagination has a long history. He can be found in 19th century bad man ballads like Stagolee and John Hardy, as well as in the black convict recitations that influenced gangsta rap. Born in a Mighty Bad Land connects this figure with similar characters in African American fiction. Many writers McKay and Hurston in the Harlem Renaissance; Wright, Baldwin, and Ellison in the '40s and '50s; Himes in