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Etheridge Knight

African-American poet (1931-1991) · United States · On the map · Writers · Died at 59

Etheridge Knight was an African-American poet. Considered one of the most important poets of the American literary tradition, he was a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the American Book Award for Poetry.

Etheridge Knight is read about 17 times a day, in 6 languages.

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A life in dates

1991Died10 March 19911987American Book AwardsAward1985Shelley Memorial AwardAward1974Guggenheim FellowshipAward1931Born19 April 1931

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Awards

American Book Awards1987
Shelley Memorial Award1985
Guggenheim Fellowship1974

About this person

Born in Corinth, Mississippi, he was incarcerated in Indianapolis in 1960, where he discovered poetry. Knight first made his name in 1968 with his debut volume, Poems from Prison, which recalls in verse his eight-year-long sentence. Poems established Knight as one of the major poets of the Black Arts Movement, which flourished from the early 1960s through the mid-1970s.

Country
United States
Category
Writers
Type
Writer / Author
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1931 to 1991 · aged 59