Fenton Johnson (poet)

For the late 20th century writer, see Fenton Johnson.
Fenton Johnson
Portrait of Fenton Johnson published in Visions of the Dusk (1915)
Portrait of Fenton Johnson published in Visions of the Dusk (1915)
BornMay 7, 1888
Chicago, Illinois
DiedSeptember 17, 1958(1958-09-17) (aged 70)
Chicago, Illinois
LanguageEnglish
Alma materNorthwestern University
University of Chicago
Columbia University
GenrePoetry

Fenton Johnson (May 7, 1888 – September 17, 1958) was an American poet, essayist, author of short stories, editor, and educator. Johnson came from a middle-class African-American family in Chicago, where he spent most of his career. His work is often included in anthologies of 20th-century poetry, and he is noted for early prose poetry. Author James Weldon Johnson (no relation) called Fenton, "one of the first Negro revolutionary poets”.[1] He is also considered a forerunner of the Harlem Renaissance.[2]

  1. ^ Sigler, Danielle Brune (March 30, 2017). "Forgotten Manuscripts: Fenton Johnson's A Wild Plaint". African American Review. 50 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1353/afa.2017.0000. ISSN 1945-6182. S2CID 164671298.
  2. ^ "Fenton Johnson". Poetry Foundation. 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-06.