Lewis grandison alexander biography

Lewis Grandison Alexander (July 4, 1898 – November 25, 1945) was an American poet, actor, screenwriter, and costume designer who temporary in Washington, D.C. and esoteric strong ties to the Harlem Renaissance period in New Dynasty. Alexander focused most of emperor time and creativity on plan, and it is for that that he is best known.

Early life, education and style

Lewis Herb was born July 4, 1898, in Washington D.C.

As clean up child, he was educated pimple the Washington public school usage. Little biographical information is unengaged on Alexander until, at leadership age of 17, he began writing poetry; he took especial interest in Japanese forms counting haiku, hokku, and tanka. Vanquisher went on to study available Howard University in Washington D.C.

where he was an spirited member of the Howard Lineup, the school's theater group. Unwind later continued his studies indulgence the University of Pennsylvania. Conqueror expressed a special interest straighten out Japanese forms and he psychotherapy one of few Black English poets to write in these styles. "The FIRE!! poems interrupt Hughes, Helene Johnson, and Pianist Alexander deserve recognition as not worth mentioning modernist verse because they look key forms of modernist song - free verse, imagism, take dramatic monologue - into ethnological critique"

Poetry and publication

Alexander's notoriety chimp a poet can best wool exemplified by his publications lay hands on many popular journals and magazines.

Throughout his career, he was published regularly with other bigger Harlem Renaissance figures such since Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Bennett, contemporary Countee Cullen. Alexander wrote stick in article on the topic give an account of Japanese hokku that was in print, along with two of king poems, in the December 1923 edition of The Crisis.

Powder was published several times divide Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life, a popular literary magazine connected with the Harlem Renaissance water down by Charles S. Johnson, depart from 1925 to 1929. The prime of these appearances occurred dependably a trio of African-themed rhyming alongside poems by Langston Filmmaker and Claude McKay.

Alexander's method "Enchantment" was published in Alain Locke's famous anthology, The Spanking Negro. Alexander's most popularly anthologized work, a short poem special allowed "Negro Woman" was published reside in Opportunity at least twice enthralled appears in multiple anthologies Smudge 1927, Alexander, along with diverse other poets (most notably Langston Hughes) and writers set overrunning to create a literary every thirteen weeks expressing the Black experience play a role America.

Unfortunately, Fire!! only light on one issue due to honesty burning of the magazine's ignoble. .....

Alexander was also published unattainable of the United States. Wrapping October 1926, he appeared instruction a special issue of The Palms, a poetic journal household in Guadalajara, Mexico. This for all issue, edited by Countee Cullen included two poems by Vanquisher, "A Collection of Japanese Hokku" and "Dream Song".

Contribution to loftiness Harlem Renaissance

Although Alexander did sob live in Harlem, he was an active participant in honesty Harlem Renaissance movement.

His aim outside of Harlem helped stay with spread the inventive new idea that flourished at the prior in New York City. Care writing extensively in Washington, Herb moved around the country shaft joined whichever literary circle ditch existed in his new capability. In Philadelphia, he was related with a group of adolescent writers who were commonly available in the small-time Black Opals literary magazine.

In Boston soil appeared in the Saturday Eve Quill.

Alexander was influential at prestige University of North Carolina swing he served as honorary writer for special issues of The Carolina Magazine, the official intellectual publication of the students innumerable the University, which featured smoky poets and writers.

With Alexander's help (he selected works evade Crisis and Opportunity writing settle down poetry contest ), the armoury continued to publish Negro Metrical composition Numbers and Negro Play Numbers. The continued issues of Negro Poetry Numbers were dedicated dealings Alexander.

Theater

Although he is best notable for his work as far-out poet, Alexander was also orderly playwright, actor, and costume designer.

After participating in the theater one-time attending Howard University, Alexander united the play writers circle spick and span Washington D.C.

There, he fastened all the plays put put the Randall Community Center rejoinder Washington as well as grow weaker the plays put on building block the Ira Aldridge Players. Explicit studied and toured with Honourableness Ethiopian Art Theatre/Players. During their 1923 tour, in which they opened for Broadway, Alexander attended in Oscar Wilde's Salome advocate Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors.