Everett Hoagland's "Homecoming"
October 21, 2004
Catching up on some reading, I discovered that a former professor of mine, Everett Hoagland, had published a poem sequence called “Homecoming” in UU World, which is the house magazine for the Unitarian Universalist Association. They are really wonderful, and worth a thoughtful reading or two.
There is also a brief interview with Hoagland, where he reveals something I hadn’t known about him. In response to the question, “How did you become a poet?” Hoagland gives an absolutely stunning answer:
“Langston Hughes met student poets at my college, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, which was also his alma mater, and told me there were a couple things he liked about my manuscript. I took his suggestions very seriously, put them into effect, and graduated with one of two creative writing awards. So I said, you know, if this great man, this poet laureate of the Negro race, the most popular black poet who ever lived, could take my poetry seriously, maybe I should take it more seriously. “
Posted by Bill Trippe at October 21, 2004 9:06 PM
