Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was a poet, novelist, journalist, songwriter, and playwright. In the course of his career, he wrote 16 poetry collections, 12 novels and short story collections, 11 plays, 8 children's books, 7 nonfiction books, and numerous articles and essays. Known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of life in Harlem, Langston was actually born in Missouri and spent his early years in Kansas under the care of his grandmother. He first lived in New York in his late teens, but traveled extensively throughout his adult life, finally settling in Harlem at age 45, where he remained until his death. A significant contributor to the "jazz poetry” genre, Langston credited Paul Laurence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman as primary influencers on his work.