Langston Hughes is best known for his Jazz Poetry. He was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. He not only did poetry but he was also a novelist, a story writer, playwright and columnist for newspapers.
Langston was of mixed origin with some traces of European American, African American and also Native American. His parents were James Nathaniel Hughes and Caroline Mercer Langston who was a school teacher. He had only one more brother. Nothing much is known about him.
Langston wrote a number of poems, plays, and other kind of literature. Most of his work is influenced by his experiences of racism and prejudice throughout his life as a Negro. Most popular of these are:
- The Weary Blue - Poem
- Montage of a Dream Deferred- Poem
- The Panther and the Lash- Poem
- The ways of white folks - fiction
- don't you want to be free - play
- Black Nativity - Play
- Simply Heavenly- Play
- The first book of Jazz - For children
- Simple stakes a claim- Fiction
