Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. A powerful figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes is the author of several poetry collections, prose, and plays, including The Weary Blues (Alfred A. Knopf, 1926), Shakespeare in Harlem (Alfred A. Knopf, 1942), I Wonder as I Wander (Rinehart, 1956), and others. He died on May 22, 1967, in New York City. 

Poem-a-Day Guest Editor 

Thanks to Major Jackson, author of The Absurd Man (W.W. Norton, 2020), who curated Poem-a-Day for June 22-July 3. Read a Q&A about Jackson’s curatorial approach and find out more about our guest editors for the year.

Artist Relief Fund 

Poets and writers: we’re continuing our work on Artist Relief in collaboration with six other national organizations, raising funds and distributing $5,000 grants to U.S.-based artists financially affected by COVID-19, which we know has disproportionately impacted BIPOC communities. If you apply but don’t receive funding, you can reapply during the next cycle. Visit http://artistrelief.org for more information.

COVID-19 Resources 

Visit our roundup of websites with information about emergency funding and other resources for artists and arts organizations.