10 Interesting Langston Hughes Facts

Langston Hughes facts give the detail information about the famous American author and poet in the Harlem Renaissance era. In 1924, he published the Negro Speaks of Rivers.  This novel was created after he was involved a lot with the authors in Harlem. Here are the interesting facts about Langston Hughes:

Langston Hughes Facts 1: date of birth and parents

Langston Hughes was the son of James Hughes and Carrie Langton Hughes. He was born on 1 February 1902 in Joplin, Missouri.

Langston Hughes Facts 2: education

He took engineering when he went to Columbia University. However, he dropped from the university. Then he decided to travel to some countries. He visited Holland, Africa and Paris.

Langston Hughes Facts

Langston Hughes Facts 3: The Weary Blues

In 1925, Langston won poetry contest in the magazine. Then he became a good writer by publishing some works such as The Dream Keeper, Not without Laughter and many other poems.

Langston Hughes Facts 4: a degree

Even though he dropped from University of Columbia, He got a BA degree from Lincoln University.

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Langston Hughes Facts 5: a play

Langston is famous as a writer. His play with the title Mullato was opened in Broadway in 1935. Besides being a playwright, he also wrote autobiographies such as The Big Sea and Wonder as I Wander.

Langston Hughes Facts 6: politics

When he was young, Langston liked to make political and socialist verses. But in the later years, he avoided the political subject because of his fear of McCarthyism.

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Langston Hughes Facts 7: book collection

Langston liked to write different kinds of literary subjects.  He wrote short stories, novels, poetry, biography, children books and many more. One of the best nonfiction books by Langston was A Pictorial History of the Negro in America. Check more the background of his Harlem influences by reading Harlem Renaissance facts.

Langston Hughes Facts 8: awards

There are many kinds of awards that he got due to his contribution to literature. He got NAACP’s Spingarn Medal and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.  He was able to go to Soviet Union and Spain because of a Guggenheim Fellowship.

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Langston Hughes Facts 9: honorary degree

Langston also got some honorary degrees from various universities such as Western Reserve, Howard University and Lincoln University.

Langston Hughes Facts 10: Langston Hughes Medal

He got Langston Hughes Medal from the city college of New York after his death.

Langston Hughes

The writer passed away on 22 May 1967 at the age of 65 years old because of prostate cancer. Do you have any opinion on facts about Langston Hughes?