Colin MacInnes, ‘In Praise of Ugliness’, OZ, May 1967, p. 18

“To conclude, let us consider the features of James Baldwin. He told me he was known as ‘frog-face’ in his youth, and was much mocked for this. Once a nice teacher (white, liberal, female) took him to the movies – his very first visit, and only after the fierce disapproval of his terrifying pastor daddy had been overcome. They entered in mid-film, and the first thing he saw was a close-up of Bette Davis, “She’s a frog face too” he thought, “and yet the world thinks she’s beautiful. Then perhaps I am too, despite what the kids say.” He is indeed and I think his is the most beautiful face I have yet seen. And that may be because of our times are etched on his features, and the light that shines through them is the same one we may recognise when we read what he has written”.