Literature Spotlights

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio on June 27, 1872. He was an African American poet, playwright, and novelist of the late 19th and 20th centuries. His first professionally published poems were "On the River" and "Our Martyred Soldiers" published in 1888. Dunbar wrote numerous books of poetry, four books of short stories, five books, and a play. Dunbar became one of the first nationally accepted African American writers. In 1897 Dunbar traveled to England to recite his works on the literary circuit. After returning from England, Dunbar accepted a job with The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C in October of 1897. He died from tuberculosis on February 9, 1906 at the age of 33.