Mari Evans

Mari Evans
Born(1919-07-16)July 16, 1919[1]
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Died (aged 97)[2]
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Toledo
Occupations
  • Writer
  • poet
  • teacher
MovementBlack Arts Movement

Mari Evans (July 16, 1919[3][1] – March 10, 2017)[4] was an African-American poet, writer, and dramatist[5] associated with the Black Arts Movement.[6] Evans received grants and awards including a lifetime achievement award from the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. Her poetry is known for its lyrical simplicity and the directness of its themes.[6] She also wrote nonfiction and edited Black Women Writers (1950–1980): A Critical Evaluation (Doubleday, 1984), an important and timely[6] critical anthology devoted to the work of 15 writers. Evans died at the age of 97 in Indianapolis, Indiana.[2]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Birthdate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Several sources reported at the time of Evans's death that she was ninety-three years old; however, her nephew, Chris Phemster, who spoke at her funeral said this was incorrect, she was actually ninety-seven; her birth year was 1919, not 1923. See: Higgins, Will (March 20, 2017). "Remembering Mari Evans' intense, unblinking life". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana: IndyStar.com. Retrieved April 19, 2019. Among those who incorrectly reported her age at the time of her death: Adams, Dwight. "Late Indianapolis Poet Mari Evans Leaves Legacy of Social Justice". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  3. ^ Kovacik, Karen (July 16, 2013). "Mari Evans at 90". No More Corn. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  4. ^ Davis, Victoria T. (March 12, 2017). "Poet, activist Mari Evans dies at age 93". RTV6. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  5. ^ Andrews, William L.; Frances Smith Foster; Trudier Harris, eds. (2001). The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199916498. OCLC 49346948.
  6. ^ a b c Gates Jr., Henry Louis; Valerie Smith, eds. (2014). The Norton Anthology of African American Literature (Third ed.). New York. ISBN 9780393923698. OCLC 866563833.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)