At his death in 1994, Ralph Ellison left behind several thousand pages of his unfinished second novel, which he had spent nearly four decades writing. Five years later, Random House published <i>Juneteenth</i>, drawn from the central narrative of Ellison&rsquo;s epic work in progress. <i>Three Days Before the Shooting . . . </i>gathers in one volume all the parts of that planned opus, including three major sequences never before published. Set in the frame of a deathbed vigil, the story is a gripping multigenerational saga centered on the assassination of a controversial, race-baiting U.S. senator who&rsquo;s being tended to by an elderly black jazz musician turned preacher. Presented in their unexpurgated, provisional state, the narrative sequences brim with humor and tension, composed in Ellison&rsquo;s magical jazz-inspired prose style. Beyond its compelling narratives, <i>Three Days Before the Shooting . . . </i>is perhaps most notable for its extraordinary insight into the creative process of one of this country&rsquo;s greatest writers, and an essential, fascinating piece of Ralph Ellison&rsquo;s legacy.