Paul Laurence Dunbar

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On the 150th anniversary of his birth, this definitive biography explores the life of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a major poet and one of the first African American writers to gain international acclaim after emancipation. Gene Andrew Jarrett presents a comprehensive account of Dunbar, whose public persona as the "poet laureate of his race" concealed his personal struggles, akin to a "caged bird" in his own words. Born during Reconstruction to formerly enslaved parents, Dunbar defied the odds to become a prolific poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, and Broadway librettist, befriending notable figures like Frederick Douglass and the Wright brothers. Despite his widespread popularity in the U.S. and Europe, he grappled with the pressures of racial identity and the need to conform to minstrel stereotypes for success. His life was marked by the legacy of his parents' survival of slavery, a tumultuous marriage, reliance on influential patrons, and battles with tuberculosis and alcoholism. Dunbar ultimately viewed his racial fame as both a blessing and a curse before his untimely death at thirty-three. This beautifully written and meticulously researched biography offers a rich, nuanced portrait of Dunbar, reshaping our understanding of his remarkable contributions to American literary history.