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[[image - black & white photograph of Langston Hughes]]
[[caption]] Langston Hughes is often called the "Negro poet laureate." (DODD, MEAD & CO.) [[/caption]]

LANGSTON HUGHES
Poet

Few would quarrel with Langston Hughes' unofficial designation as the "Negro poet laureate" of our day. An established poet and critic, Hughes belongs in the ranks of the major American writers of the 20th century.

Born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902, Hughes moved to Cleveland at the age of 14. Having graduated from Central High School, he spent a year in Mexico before studying for a time at Columbia University. After roaming the world as a seaman and writing some poetry as well, Hughes returned to the United States, winning the Witter Bynner Prize for undergraduate poetry while attending Lincoln University, later his alma mater (1928). Two years later, he received the Harmon Award and, in 1935, with the help of a Guggenheim Fellowship, traveled to Russia and Spain.

The long and distinguished list of Hughes' prose works includes: Not Without Laughter (1930), a collection of short stories, and The Big Sea (1940), his autobiography. To this must be added such collections of poetry as The Weary Blues (1926); The Dream Keeper (1932); Shakespeare in Harlem (1942); Fields of Wonder (1947), and One Way Ticket (1947).

Hughes is also an accomplished song lyricist, librettist, and newspaper columnist. Through his newspaper columns, he has created Jesse B. Simple, a Harlem character who also saw life on the musical state in Simply Heavenly.

[[image - black & white photograph of Arna Bontemps and Langston Hughes]]
[[caption]] The late Langston Hughes (r.), one of the most important black literary figures of the century, and the late noted Arna Bontemps were products of the Harlem Renaissance, black cultural explosion in 1920s. [[/caption]]

[[image - black & white photograph of Langston Hughes wearing a hat]]
[[caption]] CARL VAN VECHTEN/LANGSTON HUGHES, 1937 SCHOMBURG COLLECTION, NYPL [[/caption]]

[[image - black & white photograph of Langston Hughes as busboy wearing white uniform, holding serving tray]]
[[caption]] LANGSTON HUGHES, BUSBOY, 1925 UNDERWOOD AND UNDERWOOD [[/caption]]

[[image - black & white photograph of Langston Hughes sitting outside wearing hat and coat]]
[[caption]] LANGSTON HUGHES, LINCOLN U., 1927 SCHOMBURG COLLECTION, NYPL [[/caption]]

[[image - black & white side view of Langston Hughes looking down at his hands]]
[[caption]] LANGSTON HUGHES, AUTHOR, 1929 SCHOMBURG COLLECTION, NYPL [[/caption]]