Paul Laurence Dunbar

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-An accessible introductory biogra- phy of the African American writer. Although Dunbar's life was cut short by tuberculosis, he produced numerous volumes of poetry, novels, short stories, and plays. His rise to fame was based on the popularity of the poems that he wrote in dialect about the lives and struggles of black people. His commitment and dedication to fighting intolerance and injustice as well as his reflections on the human condition are also portrayed in his writings. Reef points out the difficulties Dunbar faced in his own life and times and shows his influence on Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, and Nikki Giovanni, as well as on American culture as a whole. Excerpts from select poems and numerous quotes by and about the subject, cited in the lengthy source notes, enliven the text. Black-and-white photographs and reproductions appear throughout.-Janet Woodward, Garfield High School, Seattle, WA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|