James D. Corrothers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James David Corrothers
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James D. Corrothers circa 1910
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| Born | July 2, 1869 Cass County, Michigan, US |
| Died | February 12, 1917 (aged 47) West Chester, Pennsylvania, US |
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| Language | English |
| Education | Northwestern University |
James David Corrothers (born July 2, 1869 – died February 12, 1917) was an important African-American writer. He was a talented poet, a journalist, and a minister. A famous editor named Timothy Thomas Fortune once called him "the coming poet of the race." When Corrothers passed away, the well-known leader W. E. B. Du Bois said his death was "a serious loss to the race and to literature."
Contents
About James D. Corrothers
James Corrothers was born in Cass County, Michigan. He grew up in a small town. This town was special because many people there had worked against slavery before the Civil War.
His Education and Early Career
Corrothers went to college at Northwestern University in Chicago. He also studied at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. However, he left college to become a newspaper reporter. In 1893, he met the famous leader Frederick Douglass at a big event called the World Columbian Exposition.
A Poet's Changing Voice
Corrothers first became known for his poetry written in a style called "Negro dialect." This was a way of writing that tried to show how some African Americans spoke. Later, he felt that writing poetry in "standard English" was better for the new century. He even said he regretted his earlier works in dialect.
Corrothers was good friends with another famous poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar. After Dunbar died, Corrothers wrote a poem to honor him. This poem, "Paul Laurence Dunbar," was published in Century Magazine in 1912. In his own life story, In Spite of the Handicap, Corrothers said he helped bring Dunbar's poems to the attention of a famous writer named William Dean Howells.
Later Life and Legacy
After 1898, Corrothers became a minister. He served different churches, including the African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, and Presbyterian congregations.
He moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, for his ministry. Two years later, he passed away there from a stroke.
In 1922, another important writer, James Weldon Johnson, included seven of Corrothers' poems in a book. This book was called The Book of American Negro Poetry.
Published Works
Here are some of the books and collections of poems by James D. Corrothers:
- The Snapping of the Bow, 1901
- The Black Cat Club, 1902
- At the Closed Gate of Justice, 1913
- In Spite of the Handicap, 1916
