Workshop presented by Beandrea Davis and Kendale Winbush

James Baldwin is mostly remembered for his nonfiction and fiction that so powerfully illuminates the intersections of race, sexuality, and the American condition. Lesser known is Baldwin’s work as a film critic—a vocation that began with his first published book reviews and culminated in his book-length essay The Devil Finds Work (1976). Blending memoir and criticism, Baldwin’s text traces his lifelong relationship with cinema, from his childhood encounter with Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) to his searing analysis of The Exorcist (1974).

Marking the fiftieth anniversary of the book’s publication, this presentation examines The Devil Finds Work as a foundational text in Black film criticism and queer spectatorship. Through a combination of formal lecture, curated film clips and live readings of Baldwin’s work by actor Kendale Winbush, we will explore how Baldwin sees the moving image and how this work remains vitally relevant today. 

Presenter Bios

Beandrea July (@annotationswithbjuly) is a Los Angeles–based independent film critic, podcast host, and a film programmer at UCLA Film & Television Archive. In 2025, she launched her independent podcast and companion Substack, Annotations with Beandrea July, a show that thinks critically about criticism. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, and Time, and has been featured on NPR. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and got her start covering public education in Philadelphia.

Kendale Winbush (he/him) has spent nearly a decade as an educator, including as a paraprofessional for at-risk students, a kindergarten teacher, and, most recently, a director for a middle school performing arts department. An Altadena native, Kendale attended Columbia University in the City of New York and  UCLA’s Theater, Film, and Television graduate program for actors.

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