Celebratg Langston Hugh — Black, Red And Gay | HuffPost Voic

Contents:

• GAY AND LBIAN POETRY OUR TIME
• CELEBRATG LANGSTON HUGH — BLACK, RED AND GAY
• DIFFICULTI OF BEG GAY LANGSTON HUGH’ POEM BLSED ASSURANCE SHORT STORY
• LANGSTON {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}LANGSTON HUGH WAS AN AIN AMERIN WRER WHOSE POEMS, LUMNS, NOVELS AND PLAYS MA HIM A LEADG FIGURE THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE OF THE {MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{LE-HEIGHT:1.6;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: JAN 29, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;}(1902-1967){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO WAS LANGSTON HUGH?LANGSTON HUGH PUBLISHED HIS FIRST POEM 1921. HE ATTEND {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}COLUMBIA UNIVERSY, BUT LEFT AFTER ONE YEAR TO TRAVEL. A LEADG LIGHT OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, HUGH PUBLISHED HIS FIRST BOOK 1926. HE WENT ON TO WRE UNTLS WORKS OF POETRY, PROSE AND PLAYS, AS WELL AS A POPULAR LUMN FOR THE CHIGO DEFENR.EARLY LIFEJAM MERCER LANGSTON HUGH WAS BORN ON FEBARY 1, 1902, JOPL, MISSOURI. HIS PARENTS, JAM HUGH AND CARRIE LANGSTON, SEPARATED SOON AFTER HIS BIRTH, AND HIS FATHER MOVED TO MEXI. WHILE HUGH’ MOTHER MOVED AROUND DURG HIS YOUTH, HUGH WAS RAISED PRIMARILY BY HIS MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, MARY, UNTIL SHE DIED HIS EARLY TEENS. FROM THAT POT, HE WENT TO LIVE WH HIS MOTHER, AND THEY MOVED TO SEVERAL CI BEFORE EVENTUALLY SETTLG CLEVELAND, OH. IT WAS DURG THIS TIME THAT HUGH FIRST BEGAN TO WRE POETRY, AND ONE OF HIS TEACHERS TRODUCED HIM TO THE POETRY OF CARL SANDBURG AND WALT WHMAN, BOTH OF WHOM HUGH WOULD LATER CE AS PRIMARY FLUENC. HUGH WAS ALSO A REGULAR NTRIBUTOR TO HIS SCHOOL'S LERARY MAGAZE AND EQUENTLY SUBMTED TO OTHER POETRY MAGAZ, ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD ULTIMATELY REJECT HIS WORK.HARLEM RENAISSANCE HUGH GRADUATED OM HIGH SCHOOL 1920 AND SPENT THE FOLLOWG YEAR MEXI WH HIS FATHER. AROUND THIS TIME, HUGH' POEM "THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS" WAS PUBLISHED THE CRISIS MAGAZE AND WAS HIGHLY PRAISED. IN 1921 HUGH RETURNED TO THE UNED STAT AND ENROLLED AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSY WHERE HE STUDIED BRIEFLY, AND DURG WHICH TIME HE QUICKLY BEME A PART OF HARLEM'S BURGEONG CULTURAL MOVEMENT, WHAT IS MONLY KNOWN AS THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE. BUT HUGH DROPPED OUT OF COLUMBIA 1922 AND WORKED VAR ODD JOBS AROUND NEW YORK FOR THE FOLLOWG YEAR, BEFORE SIGNG ON AS A STEWARD ON A EIGHTER THAT TOOK HIM TO AI AND SPA. HE LEFT THE SHIP 1924 AND LIVED FOR A BRIEF TIME PARIS, WHERE HE NTUED TO VELOP AND PUBLISH HIS POETRY.READ MORE: LANGSTON HUGH' IMPACT ON THE HARLEM RENAISSANCEPOEMS AND OTHER WORKS'THE WEARY BLU'IN NOVEMBER 1924, HUGH RETURNED TO THE UNED STAT AND WORKED VAR JOBS. IN 1925, HE WAS WORKG AS A BBOY A WASHGTON, D.C. HOTEL RTRANT WHEN HE MET AMERIN POET VACHEL LDSAY. HUGH SHOWED SOME OF HIS POEMS TO LDSAY, WHO WAS IMPRSED ENOUGH TO E HIS NNECTNS TO PROMOTE HUGH’ POETRY AND ULTIMATELY BRG TO A WIR DIENCE. IN 1925, HUGH’ POEM “THE WEARY BLU” WON FIRST PRIZE THE OPPORTUNY MAGAZE LERARY PETN, AND HUGH ALSO RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND LLN UNIVERSY, PENNSYLVANIA. WHILE STUDYG AT LLN, HUGH' POETRY ME TO THE ATTENTN OF NOVELIST AND CRIC CARL VAN VECHTEN, WHO ED HIS NNECTNS TO HELP GET HUGH’ FIRST BOOK OF POETRY, THE WEARY BLU, PUBLISHED BY KNOPF 1926. THE BOOK HAD POPULAR APPEAL AND TABLISHED BOTH HIS POETIC STYLE AND HIS MMENT TO BLACK THEM AND HERAGE. HUGH WAS ALSO AMONG THE FIRST TO E JAZZ RHYTHMS AND DIALECT TO PICT THE LIFE OF URBAN BLACK PEOPLE HIS WORK. HE PUBLISHED A SEND VOLUME OF POETRY, FE CLOTH TO THE JEW, 1927. 'NOT WHOUT LGHTER'AFTER HIS GRADUATN OM LLN 1929, HUGH PUBLISHED HIS FIRST NOVEL, NOT WHOUT LGHTER. THE BOOK WAS MERCIALLY SUCCSFUL ENOUGH TO NVCE HUGH THAT HE ULD MAKE A LIVG AS A WRER. DURG THE 1930S, HUGH WOULD EQUENTLY TRAVEL THE UNED STAT ON LECTURE TOURS, AND ALSO ABROAD TO THE SOVIET UNN, JAPAN, AND HAI. HE NTUED TO WRE AND PUBLISH POETRY AND PROSE DURG THIS TIME, AND 1934 HE PUBLISHED HIS FIRST LLECTN OF SHORT STORI, THE WAYS OF WHE FOLKS. 'LET AMERI BE AMERI AGA'IN JULY 1936 HE PUBLISHED ONE OF HIS MOST CELEBRATED POEMS, "LET AMERI BE AMERI AGA" ESQUIRE, WHICH EXAMED THE UNREALIZED HOP AND DREAMS OF THE UNTRY'S LOWER CLASS AND DISADVANTAGED, EXPRSG A SENSE OF HOPE THAT THE AMERIN DREAM WOULD ONE DAY ARRIVE. HUGH WOULD LATER REVISE AND REPUBLISH "LET AMERI BE AMERI AGA" A SMALL ANTHOLOGY OF POEMS LLED A NEW SONG. IN 1937, HE SERVED AS A WAR RRPONNT FOR SEVERAL AMERIN NEWSPAPERS DURG THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.'SIMPLE' & MOREIN 1940, HUGH' TOBGRAPHY UP TO AGE 28, THE BIG SEA, WAS PUBLISHED. ALSO AROUND THIS TIME, HUGH BEGAN NTRIBUTG A LUMN TO THE CHIGO DEFENR, FOR WHICH HE CREATED A IC CHARACTER NAMED JSE B. SEMPLE, BETTER KNOWN AS "SIMPLE," A BLACK EVERYMAN THAT HUGH ED TO FURTHER EXPLORE URBAN, WORKG-CLASS BLACK THEM, AND TO ADDRS RACIAL ISSU. THE LUMNS WERE HIGHLY SUCCSFUL, AND "SIMPLE" WOULD LATER BE THE FOC OF SEVERAL OF HUGH' BOOKS AND PLAYS. IN THE LATE 1940S, HUGH NTRIBUTED THE LYRICS FOR A BROADWAY MIL TLED STREET SCENE, WHICH FEATURED MIC BY KURT WEILL. THE SUCCS OF THE MIL WOULD EARN HUGH ENOUGH MONEY THAT HE WAS FALLY ABLE TO BUY A HOE HARLEM. AROUND THIS TIME, HE ALSO TGHT CREATIVE WRG AT ATLANTA UNIVERSY (TODAY CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSY) AND WAS A GUT LECTURER AT A UNIVERSY CHIGO FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. OVER THE NEXT TWO S, HUGH WOULD NTUE HIS PROLIFIC OUTPUT. IN 1949 HE WROTE A PLAY THAT SPIRED THE OPERA TROUBLED ISLAND AND PUBLISHED YET ANOTHER ANTHOLOGY OF WORK, THE POETRY OF THE NEGRO. READ MORE: 10 OF LANGSTON HUGH' MOST POPULAR POEMS'A DREAM DEFERRED'IN 1951 HUGH PUBLISHED ONE OF HIS MOST CELEBRATED POEMS, "HARLEM (WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM FERRED?')," DISCSG HOW THE AMERIN DREAM FALLS SHORT FOR AIN AMERINS:WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM FERRED?DO DRY UP LIKE A RAIS THE SUN?OR FTER LIKE A SORE—AND THEN N?DO STK LIKE ROTTEN MEAT?OR CST AND SUGAR OVER—LIKE A SYPY SWEET?MAYBE JT SAGSLIKE A HEAVY LOAD.OR DO EXPLO?DURG THE 1950S AND 1960S, HE PUBLISHED UNTLS OTHER WORKS, CLUDG SEVERAL BOOKS HIS "SIMPLE" SERI, ENGLISH TRANSLATNS OF THE POETRY OF FERI GARCíA LOR AND GABRIELA MISTRAL, ANOTHER ANTHOLOGY OF HIS OWN POETRY, AND THE SEND STALLMENT OF HIS TOBGRAPHY, I WONR AS I {BORR-LEFT:MEDIUM SOLID BLACK;BORR-LEFT-LOR:#A00000;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG:0.625REM 0 0;PADDG-LEFT:1.25REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S LANGSTON HUGHES FACT {--DATA-EMBED-DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;CLEAR:BOTH;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;WIDTH:100%;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}} A SPAN{RIGHT:1REM;} IMG{WIDTH:TO;HEIGHT:85VH;} A{DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;POSN:VAR(--POSN, RELATIVE);} IMG:NOT(.EWCW41W1){DISPLAY:BLOCK;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;-WEBK-ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;-MS-FLEX-EM-ALIGN:FLEX-START;ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;}{WIDTH:100%;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}SEXUALYLERARY SCHOLARS HAVE BATED HUGH' SEXUALY FOR YEARS, WH MANY CLAIMG THE WRER WAS GAY AND CLUD A NUMBER OF D REFERENC TO MALE LOVERS HIS POEMS (AS DID WALT WHMAN, A MAJOR FLUENCE ON HUGH).HUGH NEVER MARRIED, NOR WAS HE ROMANTILLY LKED TO ANY OF THE WOMEN HIS LIFE. AND SEVERAL OF HUGH' IENDS AND TRAVELG PANNS WERE KNOWN OR BELIEVED TO BE GAY, CLUDG ZELL INGRAM, GILBERT PRICE AND FERDAND SMH. OTHER BGRAPHERS HAVE REFUTED THE CLAIMS, BUT BEE OF HUGH' SECRECY AND THE ERA'S HOMOPHOBIA SURROUNDG OPENLY GAY MEN, THERE IS NO NCRETE EVINCE OF HUGH' SEXUALY.DEATH AND LEGACYON MAY 22, 1967, HUGH DIED OM PLITNS OF PROSTATE NCER. A TRIBUTE TO HIS POETRY, HIS FUNERAL NTAED LTLE THE WAY OF SPOKEN LOGY BUT WAS FILLED WH JAZZ AND BLU MIC. HUGH' ASH WERE TERRED BENEATH THE ENTRANCE OF THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR REARCH BLACK CULTURE HARLEM. THE SCRIPTN MARKG THE SPOT FEATUR A LE OM HUGH' POEM "THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS." IT READS: "MY SOUL HAS GROWN EP LIKE THE RIVERS." HUGH' HARLEM HOME, ON EAST 127TH STREET, RECEIVED NEW YORK CY LANDMARK STAT 1981 AND WAS ADD TO THE NATNAL REGISTER OF PLAC 1982. VOLUM OF HIS WORK NTUE TO BE PUBLISHED AND TRANSLATED THROUGHOUT THE {BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS
• GREAT GAY POETS FRIDAY! LANGSTON HUGH
• BATTLE L : USE OF HUGH POEM ON GAY HISTORY POSTER IGN FUROR

GAY AND LBIAN POETRY OUR TIME

Some theorists claimed that Hugh wasn’t gay but was rather unterted sex wh anyone, regardls of genr.

CELEBRATG LANGSTON HUGH — BLACK, RED AND GAY

Others claim that he was a gay man, and any suggtn to the ntrary is an attempt to hi an important part of his an unmon turn of events, both theori may be is entirely possible that Langston Hugh was asexual and gay. The first bgrapher who suggted his asexualy, Arnold Rampersad, did so bee there was no ncrete evince supportg Langston Hughe’s supposed homosexualy. He wrote unpublished love poems wh their subjects beg men, and he often found himself the pany of gay men, havg many iends who were out, and beg a part of the queer muny at the time.

Today Gay History: The Great ‘Was Langston Gay?

DIFFICULTI OF BEG GAY LANGSTON HUGH’ POEM BLSED ASSURANCE SHORT STORY

The Gay & Lbian Review., Tobias. It’s important to remember that he me of age an era durg which gay men—and blacks—were physilly and mentally abed for beg what they were. In 1923, Cullen troduced Hugh to Ala Locke, a gay Harvard-ted thker, who published the fluential anthology “The New Negro” 1925.

LANGSTON {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}LANGSTON HUGH WAS AN AIN AMERIN WRER WHOSE POEMS, LUMNS, NOVELS AND PLAYS MA HIM A LEADG FIGURE THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE OF THE {MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{LE-HEIGHT:1.6;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: JAN 29, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;}(1902-1967){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO WAS LANGSTON HUGH?LANGSTON HUGH PUBLISHED HIS FIRST POEM 1921. HE ATTEND {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}COLUMBIA UNIVERSY, BUT LEFT AFTER ONE YEAR TO TRAVEL. A LEADG LIGHT OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, HUGH PUBLISHED HIS FIRST BOOK 1926. HE WENT ON TO WRE UNTLS WORKS OF POETRY, PROSE AND PLAYS, AS WELL AS A POPULAR LUMN FOR THE CHIGO DEFENR.EARLY LIFEJAM MERCER LANGSTON HUGH WAS BORN ON FEBARY 1, 1902, JOPL, MISSOURI. HIS PARENTS, JAM HUGH AND CARRIE LANGSTON, SEPARATED SOON AFTER HIS BIRTH, AND HIS FATHER MOVED TO MEXI. WHILE HUGH’ MOTHER MOVED AROUND DURG HIS YOUTH, HUGH WAS RAISED PRIMARILY BY HIS MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, MARY, UNTIL SHE DIED HIS EARLY TEENS. FROM THAT POT, HE WENT TO LIVE WH HIS MOTHER, AND THEY MOVED TO SEVERAL CI BEFORE EVENTUALLY SETTLG CLEVELAND, OH. IT WAS DURG THIS TIME THAT HUGH FIRST BEGAN TO WRE POETRY, AND ONE OF HIS TEACHERS TRODUCED HIM TO THE POETRY OF CARL SANDBURG AND WALT WHMAN, BOTH OF WHOM HUGH WOULD LATER CE AS PRIMARY FLUENC. HUGH WAS ALSO A REGULAR NTRIBUTOR TO HIS SCHOOL'S LERARY MAGAZE AND EQUENTLY SUBMTED TO OTHER POETRY MAGAZ, ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD ULTIMATELY REJECT HIS WORK.HARLEM RENAISSANCE HUGH GRADUATED OM HIGH SCHOOL 1920 AND SPENT THE FOLLOWG YEAR MEXI WH HIS FATHER. AROUND THIS TIME, HUGH' POEM "THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS" WAS PUBLISHED THE CRISIS MAGAZE AND WAS HIGHLY PRAISED. IN 1921 HUGH RETURNED TO THE UNED STAT AND ENROLLED AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSY WHERE HE STUDIED BRIEFLY, AND DURG WHICH TIME HE QUICKLY BEME A PART OF HARLEM'S BURGEONG CULTURAL MOVEMENT, WHAT IS MONLY KNOWN AS THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE. BUT HUGH DROPPED OUT OF COLUMBIA 1922 AND WORKED VAR ODD JOBS AROUND NEW YORK FOR THE FOLLOWG YEAR, BEFORE SIGNG ON AS A STEWARD ON A EIGHTER THAT TOOK HIM TO AI AND SPA. HE LEFT THE SHIP 1924 AND LIVED FOR A BRIEF TIME PARIS, WHERE HE NTUED TO VELOP AND PUBLISH HIS POETRY.READ MORE: LANGSTON HUGH' IMPACT ON THE HARLEM RENAISSANCEPOEMS AND OTHER WORKS'THE WEARY BLU'IN NOVEMBER 1924, HUGH RETURNED TO THE UNED STAT AND WORKED VAR JOBS. IN 1925, HE WAS WORKG AS A BBOY A WASHGTON, D.C. HOTEL RTRANT WHEN HE MET AMERIN POET VACHEL LDSAY. HUGH SHOWED SOME OF HIS POEMS TO LDSAY, WHO WAS IMPRSED ENOUGH TO E HIS NNECTNS TO PROMOTE HUGH’ POETRY AND ULTIMATELY BRG TO A WIR DIENCE. IN 1925, HUGH’ POEM “THE WEARY BLU” WON FIRST PRIZE THE OPPORTUNY MAGAZE LERARY PETN, AND HUGH ALSO RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND LLN UNIVERSY, PENNSYLVANIA. WHILE STUDYG AT LLN, HUGH' POETRY ME TO THE ATTENTN OF NOVELIST AND CRIC CARL VAN VECHTEN, WHO ED HIS NNECTNS TO HELP GET HUGH’ FIRST BOOK OF POETRY, THE WEARY BLU, PUBLISHED BY KNOPF 1926. THE BOOK HAD POPULAR APPEAL AND TABLISHED BOTH HIS POETIC STYLE AND HIS MMENT TO BLACK THEM AND HERAGE. HUGH WAS ALSO AMONG THE FIRST TO E JAZZ RHYTHMS AND DIALECT TO PICT THE LIFE OF URBAN BLACK PEOPLE HIS WORK. HE PUBLISHED A SEND VOLUME OF POETRY, FE CLOTH TO THE JEW, 1927. 'NOT WHOUT LGHTER'AFTER HIS GRADUATN OM LLN 1929, HUGH PUBLISHED HIS FIRST NOVEL, NOT WHOUT LGHTER. THE BOOK WAS MERCIALLY SUCCSFUL ENOUGH TO NVCE HUGH THAT HE ULD MAKE A LIVG AS A WRER. DURG THE 1930S, HUGH WOULD EQUENTLY TRAVEL THE UNED STAT ON LECTURE TOURS, AND ALSO ABROAD TO THE SOVIET UNN, JAPAN, AND HAI. HE NTUED TO WRE AND PUBLISH POETRY AND PROSE DURG THIS TIME, AND 1934 HE PUBLISHED HIS FIRST LLECTN OF SHORT STORI, THE WAYS OF WHE FOLKS. 'LET AMERI BE AMERI AGA'IN JULY 1936 HE PUBLISHED ONE OF HIS MOST CELEBRATED POEMS, "LET AMERI BE AMERI AGA" ESQUIRE, WHICH EXAMED THE UNREALIZED HOP AND DREAMS OF THE UNTRY'S LOWER CLASS AND DISADVANTAGED, EXPRSG A SENSE OF HOPE THAT THE AMERIN DREAM WOULD ONE DAY ARRIVE. HUGH WOULD LATER REVISE AND REPUBLISH "LET AMERI BE AMERI AGA" A SMALL ANTHOLOGY OF POEMS LLED A NEW SONG. IN 1937, HE SERVED AS A WAR RRPONNT FOR SEVERAL AMERIN NEWSPAPERS DURG THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.'SIMPLE' & MOREIN 1940, HUGH' TOBGRAPHY UP TO AGE 28, THE BIG SEA, WAS PUBLISHED. ALSO AROUND THIS TIME, HUGH BEGAN NTRIBUTG A LUMN TO THE CHIGO DEFENR, FOR WHICH HE CREATED A IC CHARACTER NAMED JSE B. SEMPLE, BETTER KNOWN AS "SIMPLE," A BLACK EVERYMAN THAT HUGH ED TO FURTHER EXPLORE URBAN, WORKG-CLASS BLACK THEM, AND TO ADDRS RACIAL ISSU. THE LUMNS WERE HIGHLY SUCCSFUL, AND "SIMPLE" WOULD LATER BE THE FOC OF SEVERAL OF HUGH' BOOKS AND PLAYS. IN THE LATE 1940S, HUGH NTRIBUTED THE LYRICS FOR A BROADWAY MIL TLED STREET SCENE, WHICH FEATURED MIC BY KURT WEILL. THE SUCCS OF THE MIL WOULD EARN HUGH ENOUGH MONEY THAT HE WAS FALLY ABLE TO BUY A HOE HARLEM. AROUND THIS TIME, HE ALSO TGHT CREATIVE WRG AT ATLANTA UNIVERSY (TODAY CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSY) AND WAS A GUT LECTURER AT A UNIVERSY CHIGO FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. OVER THE NEXT TWO S, HUGH WOULD NTUE HIS PROLIFIC OUTPUT. IN 1949 HE WROTE A PLAY THAT SPIRED THE OPERA TROUBLED ISLAND AND PUBLISHED YET ANOTHER ANTHOLOGY OF WORK, THE POETRY OF THE NEGRO. READ MORE: 10 OF LANGSTON HUGH' MOST POPULAR POEMS'A DREAM DEFERRED'IN 1951 HUGH PUBLISHED ONE OF HIS MOST CELEBRATED POEMS, "HARLEM (WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM FERRED?')," DISCSG HOW THE AMERIN DREAM FALLS SHORT FOR AIN AMERINS:WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM FERRED?DO DRY UP LIKE A RAIS THE SUN?OR FTER LIKE A SORE—AND THEN N?DO STK LIKE ROTTEN MEAT?OR CST AND SUGAR OVER—LIKE A SYPY SWEET?MAYBE JT SAGSLIKE A HEAVY LOAD.OR DO EXPLO?DURG THE 1950S AND 1960S, HE PUBLISHED UNTLS OTHER WORKS, CLUDG SEVERAL BOOKS HIS "SIMPLE" SERI, ENGLISH TRANSLATNS OF THE POETRY OF FERI GARCíA LOR AND GABRIELA MISTRAL, ANOTHER ANTHOLOGY OF HIS OWN POETRY, AND THE SEND STALLMENT OF HIS TOBGRAPHY, I WONR AS I {BORR-LEFT:MEDIUM SOLID BLACK;BORR-LEFT-LOR:#A00000;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG:0.625REM 0 0;PADDG-LEFT:1.25REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S LANGSTON HUGHES FACT {--DATA-EMBED-DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;CLEAR:BOTH;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;WIDTH:100%;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}} A SPAN{RIGHT:1REM;} IMG{WIDTH:TO;HEIGHT:85VH;} A{DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;POSN:VAR(--POSN, RELATIVE);} IMG:NOT(.EWCW41W1){DISPLAY:BLOCK;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;-WEBK-ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;-MS-FLEX-EM-ALIGN:FLEX-START;ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;}{WIDTH:100%;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}SEXUALYLERARY SCHOLARS HAVE BATED HUGH' SEXUALY FOR YEARS, WH MANY CLAIMG THE WRER WAS GAY AND CLUD A NUMBER OF D REFERENC TO MALE LOVERS HIS POEMS (AS DID WALT WHMAN, A MAJOR FLUENCE ON HUGH).HUGH NEVER MARRIED, NOR WAS HE ROMANTILLY LKED TO ANY OF THE WOMEN HIS LIFE. AND SEVERAL OF HUGH' IENDS AND TRAVELG PANNS WERE KNOWN OR BELIEVED TO BE GAY, CLUDG ZELL INGRAM, GILBERT PRICE AND FERDAND SMH. OTHER BGRAPHERS HAVE REFUTED THE CLAIMS, BUT BEE OF HUGH' SECRECY AND THE ERA'S HOMOPHOBIA SURROUNDG OPENLY GAY MEN, THERE IS NO NCRETE EVINCE OF HUGH' SEXUALY.DEATH AND LEGACYON MAY 22, 1967, HUGH DIED OM PLITNS OF PROSTATE NCER. A TRIBUTE TO HIS POETRY, HIS FUNERAL NTAED LTLE THE WAY OF SPOKEN LOGY BUT WAS FILLED WH JAZZ AND BLU MIC. HUGH' ASH WERE TERRED BENEATH THE ENTRANCE OF THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR REARCH BLACK CULTURE HARLEM. THE SCRIPTN MARKG THE SPOT FEATUR A LE OM HUGH' POEM "THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS." IT READS: "MY SOUL HAS GROWN EP LIKE THE RIVERS." HUGH' HARLEM HOME, ON EAST 127TH STREET, RECEIVED NEW YORK CY LANDMARK STAT 1981 AND WAS ADD TO THE NATNAL REGISTER OF PLAC 1982. VOLUM OF HIS WORK NTUE TO BE PUBLISHED AND TRANSLATED THROUGHOUT THE {BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS

The ntent of this magaze was heavily cricized for s foc upon provotive and unpopular subjects such as prostutn, homosexualy, and the life experienc of the lower class. Another ntroversial aspect of Hugh’ life that played out after his ath is the suggtn that Hugh was gay. However, many of his poems uld be terpreted as havg homoerotic unrton, such as To Bety.

There isn’t any ncrete evince that Hugh was gay but his associatns wh several men throughout his life show that was a very, very strong possibily. On the one si are those who believe that any suggtn of homosexualy would tarnish his reputatn, and so they tend to anthetize his love life pletely. Dpe his amoro rrponnce and poems addrsed to femal who were apparently romantic terts, Hugh was seen as asexual by some, homosexual by others.

Arnold Rampersad, the two-volume The Life of Langston Hugh (1986), fds no clear evince for homosexualy the archiv. Still, the se of Hugh, I believe we have enough evince to assert wh a high gree of nfince that he was gay. He surround himself wh gay men.

GREAT GAY POETS FRIDAY! LANGSTON HUGH

The reference to Whman’s homoerotic “Calam” sequence would not have gone unnoticed by Locke.

He later said an terview: “I was que willg to reveal that Hugh was homosexual and I certaly went lookg for the evince. … But I’m not sayg he was not gay. … It’s a plited bs and I don’t know where people get off sayg he was gay, he was gay, let’s claim him.

The virtu of Rampersad’s bgraphy are many, but he reveals somethg of his attu toward gay sexualy when he scrib Hugh as beg a figure at risk of beg “claimed” by the LGBT muny, and the implied negative judgments of the gay figur around Hugh who regard him as “viable. Hugh was que possibly a character that we would regnize today as someone on the down-low—a man who dated women but who also ma room for relatnships wh gay men.

BATTLE L : USE OF HUGH POEM ON GAY HISTORY POSTER IGN FUROR

Hilton Als has poted to the poem “Cafe: 3AM, ” which tak aim at anti-gay police actn and sympathiz wh homosexuals: “God, Nature/ or somebody/ ma them that way. ” He also pots to Hugh’ lovels childhood and the impossibily of fdg acceptance as a homosexual.

Couple the personal issu wh the social prejudice of the time, and the ia that Hugh was secretly gay, closeted of necsy, be no mere vogue. I felt I owed to the list of gay men who jt so happened to have fallen eply love wh Hugh, and to Hugh himself, who was obvly laborg unr nflicts that are still pertent to members the LGBT muny today.