About the Author
The son of former slaves, who divorced when he was young, Paul Laurence Dunbar was born June 27, 1872, in Dayton, Ohio. Dunbar’s most significant literary exposure came in 1893 when he published his privately printed volume of poetry, Oak and Ivy. In 1895, he privately published Majors and Minors, which esteemed critic William Dean Howells famously reviewed. A prolific writer, Dunbar ultimately published twelve books of poetry, four books of stories and plays, and four novels.
