Langston Hughes (1901-1967) was a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance and one of the most influential and acclaimed American writers of the twentieth century. A renowned poet from a young age, Hughes' first collection of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published when he was just 24. He would go on to publish more than thirty-five books, including his award-winning debut novel, Not Without Laughter, and the short story collection, The Ways of White Folks. His widely-read journalism and nonfiction became important documents in the support and promotion of the civil rights movement.

Joshua Bennett is a poet and a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College. He is the author of several books of poetry and criticism and has been published in The New York Times and The Paris Review. He is also the co-editor of Minor Notes, a Penguin Classics series dedicated to lesser known poets within the Black expressive tradition He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and son, Pam and August, and their family dog, Apollo 5.