Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist during the 1900s. He was one of the earliest innovators of the new literary art form of jazz poetry. He didn’t start writing poetry until he moved to Lincoln, Illinois. In November 1924, Langston moved to Washington, DC where he wrote his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues. In 1930, he wrote his first novel, Not Without Laughter, which won him the Harmon Gold Medal for Literature. Hughes is well known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties. Langston wrote novels, short stories and plays, as well as poetry.