Guess who's having a birthday party? This 111-year-old right here.
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Langston Hughes, pastel portrait by Winold Reiss.
From Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery |
Langston Hughes was born February 1st, 1902: coincidentally, the start of Black History Month. To kick off the celebrations, the
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute is throwing him a
birthday bash -- and everyone's invited.
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| National Portrait Gallery |
You might know Hughes (born James Mercer Langston Hughes) was a
poet and playwright of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.
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Langston Hughes consults with actors on one of his plays.
From Library of Congress |
But that's just the beginning: he was also a novelist, newspaper columnist,
gay literary icon and civil rights activist. You earn that many titles, someone is going to want to name a cultural institution after you.
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| Courtesy Joe Mabel |
If you haven't already gotten your invitation to the Langston Birthday Bash, here it is! Details:
WHEN: February 1, 2013 at 8pm
WHERE: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S., Seattle
TICKETS: Brown Paper Tickets for advance purchase discount
Enough of me -- listen to the man himself: Langston Hughes reads his celebrated poem "I, Too, Sing America."
FTC disclosure: I'm partnering with the LHPAI on a series I call "Thursdays with LHPAI," generally published on Thursdays. I am being paid an honorarium for my work. However, all opinions and views expressed in this series are my own.
