born June 27, 1872, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
died Feb. 9, 1906, Dayton
U.S. author.
The son of former slaves, Dunbar became the first African American writer to try to live by his writings and one of the first to attain national prominence. He wrote for a largely white readership, using black dialect and depicting the pre-Civil War South in pastoral, idyllic tones. His verse collections include Oak and Ivy (1893), Majors and Minors (1895), and Lyrics of Lowly Life (1896). His poems reached a wide readership, and he gave readings in the U.S. and England. He also published four short-story collections and four novels, including The Sport of the Gods (1902).
Paul Laurence Dunbar, 1906.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.