“In so many ways and to so many people, Hughes was 'the Negro,' or at least 'Negro literature,' its public face, its spoken voice and cocktail-party embodiment as well as the source of its printed texts.”
Originally published June 13, 1989
“Hughes was the first black American writer many of us ever read... and his career remains an inspiring model for black writers determined to make a living solely from their work.”
Originally published July 1, 1988