National Poetry Series
1 appearances
Sterling Allen Brown
スターリング・アレン・ブラウン
Sutāringu Aren Buraun
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1901-05-01 （Howard University campus, Washington, D.C., U.S.）
- Died
- 1989-01-13 （Takoma Park, Maryland, U.S.） age 87
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Howard University campus (Washington, D.C.) → Howard County, Maryland (family farm in childhood) → Brookland, Northeast Washington, D.C. (longtime residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Poet, Professor, Folklorist, Literary critic
- Active Years
- 1923-1989
- Affiliations
- Howard University faculty, Omega Psi Phi (fraternity), NAACP (advisory board)
- Memberships
- Omega Psi Phi, NAACP (advisory board)
- Influenced By
- African-American folk music and folklore, Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston
- Influenced
- Toni Morrison (one of his students), Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Ossie Davis (student), Thomas Sowell (student)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams College | — | English | BA | 1918–1922 | United States |
| Harvard University | — | English | MA | 1922–1923 | United States |
Williams College
English
Degree:
BA
Period:
1918–1922
Year of Graduation:
1922
Country:
United States
Elected to Phi Beta Kappa; won the Graves Prize for an essay
Harvard University
English
Degree:
MA
Period:
1922–1923
Year of Graduation:
1923
Country:
United States
Earned an MA; did not pursue a doctorate but received several honorary doctorates.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize | Collected Poems | — | Academy of American Poets / Associated organization | 受賞 |
| 1982 | Langston Hughes Medal | — | — | City College of New York | 受賞 |
| 1984 | Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia (first) | — | — | District of Columbia | 任命 |
| 1979 | Sterling A. Brown Day (commemoration) | — | — | District of Columbia | 制定 |
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
1981
Work:
Collected Poems
Organization:
Academy of American Poets / Associated organization
Result:
受賞
Langston Hughes Medal
1982
Organization:
City College of New York
Result:
受賞
Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia (first)
1984
Organization:
District of Columbia
Result:
任命
Sterling A. Brown Day (commemoration)
1979
Organization:
District of Columbia
Result:
制定
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Outline for the study of the poetry of American Negroes
1931 Literary criticismAn introductory study and critical approach to the poetry of African Americans.
African-American literature studyPoetic form
Southern Road
1932 PoetryA collection of poems set in the rural South, using dialect and musical rhythms to portray the lives of poor black people with dignity.
Southern lifeDialectMusic (blues, spirituals)
The Negro Caravan (co-editor)
1941 AnthologyAn anthology of African-American literature co-edited with Arthur P. Davis and Ulysses Lee.
African-American literatureAnthology editing
The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown
1980 Poetry (collected)A collected edition of his major poems, reflecting African-American musical and folk traditions.
Traditional musicFolkloreRace and class
Adaptations
- [Music] Justice (based on the poem "Old Lem") (1995)
The Poetry of Sterling Brown (recording)
1995 Audio / Spoken poetryA compilation of recordings (1946–1973) released by Smithsonian Folkways in 1995.
Spoken wordOral poetryBlack musical rhythms
Bibliography
- Outline for the study of the poetry of American Negroes (1931)
- Southern Road (1932)
- The Negro in American Fiction (1937)
- The Negro Caravan (co-edited, 1941)
- The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown (1980)
- A Son's Return: Selected Essays of Sterling A. Brown (1996, ed.)
Adaptations
- Song 'Justice' based on the poem 'Old Lem' (recorded by Carla Olson)
- The Poetry of Sterling Brown audio recordings (Smithsonian Folkways, 1995)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Poetic style incorporating Southern dialect and colloquial speechRhythms influenced by jazz and bluesFolk-based narrative approach
- Recurring Motifs
- Southern landscapes and rural lifeAfrican-American music and worship (spirituals)Church and community
Health
-
Leukemia晩年Affected his health in later life and was the cause of his death in 1989.
Legacy
Sterling A. Brown was a pioneer in the study and promotion of African-American folklore and poetry. He taught at Howard University for decades, mentoring many notable writers and thinkers, and is acclaimed for incorporating Southern life and black musical traditions into his poetry.
Museums
- Founders Hall, Howard University (designated Literary Landmark) Howard University, Washington, D.C. Opened in 1997
Academic Societies
- NAACP (advisory board)
- Omega Psi Phi (related fraternity)
Archives
- Williams College Archives & Special Collections (Sterling A. Brown papers)
In Popular Culture
- Recording 'Justice' based on the poem 'Old Lem' (Carla Olson)
- Engraved plaque and sign at his Brookland home near Howard University
Quotes
-
If America is to indoctrinate the rest of the world with democracy, it is logical to expect that the American Negro will share it at home.… [S]egregation must be abolished before there will be true democracy at home.
Source: Essay / commentary (original source year/publication unclear)
Trivia
- Born on the campus of Howard University (his father was a minister and professor at Howard).
- His wife Daisy Turnbull inspired poems such as 'Long Track Blues' and 'Against That Day'.
- May 1 was declared Sterling A. Brown Day by the District of Columbia in 1979.
- Appointed the first Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia in 1984.
- There is a commemorative plaque installed by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in front of his Brookland home.