Includes bibliographical references and index.

John Oliver Killens wrote works of fiction and nonfiction, the most famous of which is his novel Youngblood. An influential novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and teacher, he was the founding chair of the Harlem Writers Guild and mentored a generation of black writers at Fisk, Howard, Columbia, and elsewhere. He is recognized as the spiritual father of the Black Arts Movement. This book examines the life and career of the African American writer-activist from the 1950s to the 1980s. It looks at both his times and his literary achievement. Figuring prominently are many important African American artists and political figures connected to the author from the 1930s to the 1980s including, W.E.B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson, Alphaeus Hunton, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harry Belafonte, and Maya Angelou.

ALA Black Caucus Award for Honor Book Nonfiction, 2011

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