Biography about paul laurence dunbar

African-American writer (1872–1906)

Paul Laurence Dunbar
Dunbar, circa 1890
Born	(1872-06-27)June 27, 1872 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Died	February 9, 1906(1906-02-09) (aged 33) Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Resting place	Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Poet, novelist, short story writer
Spouse	Alice Ruth Moore

Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American Civil War, Dunbar began writing stories and verse when he was a child. He published his first poems at the age of 16 in a Dayton newspaper, and served as president of his high school's literary society.

Dunbar's popularity increased rapidly after his work was praised by William Dean Howells, a leading editor associated with Harper's Weekly. Dunbar became one of