Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Poet Anne Spencer Represented the Harlem Renaissance While Living in Virginia


The Virginia writer was one example of the Harlem Renaissance’s influence beyond New York.
by Rich Watson 


Anne Spencer was a Harlem Renaissance-era poet notable for being one of the first black female poets to make the prestigious Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. She was active in the NAACP, as well as a respected librarian and gardener.

She did all this while living over four hundred miles south of Harlem itself.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Five Spots in Langston Hughes’ Harlem


This legendary writer from the twenties loved Harlem. Here are five spots associated with him and his era.
by Rich Watson 


The Harlem Renaissance of the twenties was a time of growth for black artisans of many stripes. Langston Hughes was one of the biggest. The writer connected with various like-minded intellectuals to share their views on African-American culture and the future of black society in general.

Harlem was ground zero for this movement.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

#HudsonValley: Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Years At Vassar College


The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet graduated from this former women’s college in Poughkeepsie.
by Rich Watson 


Edna St. Vincent Millay was a poet from the early twentieth century. Her poem “Ballad of the Harp-Weaver” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923, the first time the award went to a woman poet.

She achieved notoriety early in life, which led to an education at a distinguished school: Vassar College.