Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes grew up without a good family life as he lived with his grandmother at the age of thirteen after he was born February 1st 1902 in Joplin Missouri. He had many jobs before he went into the writing profession. His very first poetry book, "The Weary Blues" was published in 1926. Just four years later he wrote his first novel which was named "Not Without Laughter". That very novel won him the Harmon Gold Medal. He is remembered for his insightful and colorful displays of African Amarican life in America during the twenties and sixties. His style is a very interesting and gives him a very unique voice. A very important part of what he did was that his life and work helped to shape the artistic contruibutions to the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920's. Sadly he died in the year of 1967 in New York. Throughout his life he had written sixteen poem books, two novels, three collections of short stories, four volumes of "editorial" and "documentary" fiction, twenty plays, children's poetry, musicals and operas, three autobiographies, a dozen radio and television scripts and a bunch of magazine articles. In addition, he edited seven anthologies. This is quite a resume for a writer especially since the era he wrote in was a very tough financial one.