In Baldwin: A Love Story, Nicholas Boggs presents the first major biography of James Baldwin in over thirty years, centered on the intimate relationships that shaped his life and writing. Drawing on new archival material, original research, and interviews, Nicholas Boggs reveals Baldwin’s deep bonds with his mentor and painter Beauford Delaney, his lover Lucien Happersberger, the French artist Yoran Cazac, and Turkish actor Engin Cezzar—all of whom infused Baldwin’s work with emotional urgency and creative vitality.

With meticulous scholarship and tender storytelling, Nicholas Boggs charts how Baldwin’s search for connection fueled his voice as a cultural icon and civil rights advocate. By structuring Baldwin’s life through these overlapping relationships, Nicholas Boggs offers a richly nuanced portrait that illuminates Baldwin’s fears around love, solitude, and the quest for belonging—bridging his personal longing with his powerful public witness¹.