About the BookPublication: 2026 :
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
A history of Black poets in Washington, DC, reveals how they have reflected and transformed American cultural discourse
This post is part of the
Books in Brief series, which features concise conversations with scholars about their books in African American literary studies.
1. What inspired you to pursue the lines of research and writing that resulted in this book?
While much of my motivation is because I am a child of Washington D.C. during its most electric period of Black cultural development (the Chocolate City period), and a poet in that town as well, it mostly began when I wrote an article for the Washington Post in February 2002 celebrating the centennial of Langston Hughes. Hughes had lived in D.C. in 1924 - 1926, worked as a busboy, and found some success as a poet even while living here. He interacted with the local poets and became fast friends with the local poet, Waring Cuney. The article I wrote which focused on some of Hughes' other visits was well received and it encouraged me to not let the story of Black poets in D.C. go after the article was published. I didn't. I stayed with it and by 2006, I kind of felt I was onto something when I wrote an essay about Paul Laurence Dunbar's first poetry reading in D.C. I wasn't fully convinced but I was encouraged. So, I just kept pushing and collecting materials and talking to people.
2. What surprised you most during your research or writing process?
Mostly, how much of my hunches all turned out to be true even as I was often frustrated in my search for the story of the Black poet in the nation's capital. One example is Waring Cuney, the author of the famous poem, "No Images." Cuney's career as a poet is often missed by critics for a variety of reasons (he served in World War II and was gone from the city for years, he was a songwriter, and he left D.C. often). I always believed that Cuney was a busy writer and artist and he fits with the narrative I knew was here if one just looked for it. Cuney's work is easily found in numerous research centers around the world and his output is healthy. He was also close friends with Sterling A. Brown But, every time I would dig deeper in search of something I suspected was true, the evidence of it would be found. D.C.'s Black poetry scene always felt strong and well nurtured to me and all the evidence slowly began to show itself. That was the main surprise; how the story I thought was there was there. It wasn't a theory. D.C.'s Black poetry scene going back to Paul Laurence Dunbar coming to live there is, in fact, real.
3. What was the hardest decision you had to make while writing this book?
The two hardest decisions relate to including poets or not including poets. It was intentional for me to include as many poets as possible and as many aspect of the Black poetry scene as possible. However, my focus wasn't on any one poet but on the scene itself. I wanted the book to reflect the history and development of the overall Black poetry scene in a Jim Crow city with strong links of chattel slavery. Despite those challenges, the Black poets of the city built a powerful, well connected, poetry community that has sustained itself now for 125 years. Due to my approach, some poets who were important to the scene don't get the attention that reflects their impact and role in building the scene. However, I am still mostly pleased with the decisions I made. The book is about the community, the Black poets in it, and the city they influenced culturally. It was a tough call but the right one.
4. What's one lesson you learned while producing this book that you'll carry into future projects?
The one lesson is to always push deeper. There is always something you are missing. There is always more story. There is always more evidence. Exhaust the story if you can. And in the modern era, research is much easier to locate. I will not assume the story is not there anymore because it likely is there. Current research I am doing now tells me the story can be found; you just have to go after it.
5. If any come to mind, are there books in African American literary studies that you see your work in conversation with?
I have only one book that is African American studies that my book is in conversation with, and that is Natalie Hopkinson's book, Go-Go Live:
Here book does capture some of the sentiments I was dealing with in my book.
There is one other book that reflects what I was trying to do in my book but it is not an African American book.
