It is never “OK” to use that word not even in literature!

As you are making a direct reference to a text, there can be no reason to use a euphenism in place of the word. Avoid reference to the word specifially if you feel very uncomfortable using it.

****** is the title of Dick Gregory’s very touching and insightful autobiography from the 70s.

You are right the term is pejorative and he wrote that he’d chosen that term as a title so when his mother heard it she’d think people were refering to his work and be proud.

because he used it. How silly… it was common parlance and Twain was actually the perfect anti-racist. But the academy is thick as a brick with misplaced PC. So I would advise against it.

Those are just my two cents on the matter though.

Annette