An influential American writer from the early to mid 20th century. Beginning with the publication of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" in 1921, Hughes first captured the public's imagination as a poet. A versatile writer, Hughes was also adept in writing short stories, novels, plays, and non-fiction. His work often focused on the lives of ordinary people and frequently employed humor, social commentary, and folk wisdom in his writing. In the late 1930s he began writing for Hollywood, but his time the ...