Langston Hughes in Lawrence: Photographs and Biographical Resources

by Denise Low

Langston Hughes, the great American poet who inspired the Harlem Renaissance, spent most of his childhood (1902-1915) in Lawrence, Ks. This biography includes 60 B&W photos of Lawrence places connected to Hughes, along with text, maps, and a family tree of known African, American Indian, and White ancestry. A story emerges of his prominent abolitionist grandparents, Charles and Mary Langston, who lived in the Lawrence area from 1870, and their struggle for education and civil rights. Many buildings from their and Langston Hughes's time survive in Lawrence, a place where the spirit of political activism is still alive. "Langston Hughes in Lawrence is a remarkable visual portrait of a place that nurtured a man known for his words more than one hundred years after his birth. We owe a debt of gratitude to Low and Weso for bringing Hughes's boyhood home alive, for returning us to those years between 1902 and 1915. Here we can see and imagine the world that made its permanent mark on the foremost poet of the 20th century." -Maryemma Graham, Langston Hughes National Poetry Project, University of Kansas "No previous scholar of Langston Hughes' boyhood in Lawrence has examined the complexities in Hughes's multiracial family or in his community with the comprehensiveness and insight that Low and Weso provide in their new study." Elizabeth Schultz, University of Kansas.

Genres: History

Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

Reviews

[Shirleynature · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful resource for discovering more about Hughes’s childhood and the inspiring legacy of his diverse family heritage is available in the book Langston Hughes in Lawrence by Denise Low and Thomas Pecore Weso. Low and Weso reveal that his family included abolitionist leaders who supported John Brown and the end of slavery, and his ancestry included African-American, American Indian, and European roots.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool book, I just wish it had been organized in more of a chronological order beginning with Hughes family, and then going into his life. The ending felt somewhat confusing and rushed with the overwhelming amount of familial history, and I wish more of his writings were included in the imagery, but well told introduction into history, literature, and life of Langston Hughes. I hope all readers feel more connected to the infrastructure and the ground where so much history took place, and I think petitioning for marked graves in Oak Hill cemetery is a crucial key to not forget about more of that past that still exists in Lawrence.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! I can't wait to learn more about both Langston Hughes and Lawrence, KS!