Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
While some authors don't even write the film adaptations of their novels, Wright took things a step even further by actually starring in the 1951 adaptation of his novel Native Son, filmed and released in Argentina. Sure, Wright wasn't an actor—plus, he was twenty years older than his character—but he didn't let silly things like that stop him. (Source)
On a similar note, Native Son was almost made into a Hollywood film, but the deal fell through because the studio insisted on having an all-white cast. Seriously—we couldn't make this stuff up. (Source)
As a one-time member of the Communist Party, Wright was no stranger to being harassed by the CIA for his "subversive" opinions. With this in mind, the CIA took a different approach, trying to woo Wright by secretly funding an organization called the American Society for African Culture, which fulfilled many of Wright's stated goals. It was a good try, but Wright wasn't fooled. (Source)
Although Wright wasn't drafted in 1942, he expressed a desire to join the armed forces in the years that followed. Oddly, he had a very specific idea of what he wanted to do: make propaganda. Ah, truly a budding novelist. (Source)