Kevin Young (poet) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kevin Young
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Young at the 2017 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | Kevin Young November 8, 1970 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Occupation | |
| Language | English |
| Education | Harvard College (AB) Brown University (MFA) |
| Genre | Poetry, literary criticism |
| Subject | Blues |
| Notable awards | Guggenheim Fellowship; finalist, National Book Award |
| Spouse | Kate Tuttle |
Kevin Young, born on November 8, 1970, is an American poet. He has been the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture since 2021. He has written 11 books and edited eight others. Before his current role, Young was the Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library.
Young won a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was also a finalist for the National Book Award for his 2003 poetry collection, Jelly Roll: A Blues. He used to be a professor at Emory University. In March 2017, Young became the poetry editor for The New Yorker magazine.
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Kevin Young's Early Life and Education
Kevin Young was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was the only child of two busy parents. His father, Dr. Paul E. Young, was an eye doctor. His mother, Dr. Azzie Young, was a chemist. Because of his parents' jobs, his family moved often when he was young. Young lived in six different places before he turned ten. His family eventually settled in Topeka, Kansas. He started writing when he was thirteen. This happened after he took a summer writing class at Washburn University.
Young went to Harvard College. There, he studied with famous poets like Seamus Heaney. He also became friends with writer Colson Whitehead. He graduated in 1992. After that, he received a special writing fellowship at Stanford University. He then earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from Brown University.
Kevin Young's Career as a Writer and Editor
While living in Boston and Providence, Young was part of a group called the Dark Room Collective. This group focused on African-American poetry. He is greatly inspired by poets like Langston Hughes and Emily Dickinson. He also finds inspiration from the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Young wrote much of his first book, Most Way Home, while still in college. This book was published in 1995. It won an award called the John C. Zacharis First Book Award. In this book, Young explores stories about his own family. He shows a great understanding of different voices and characters.
Young has described three of his books as an "American trilogy." These books are To Repel Ghosts, Jelly Roll, and Black Maria. He called this series Devil's Music. His book The Book of Hours won the 2015 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize.
Young has written other books too. These include For The Confederate Dead and Dear Darkness. He also edited several collections of poems. These include Blues Poems and Jazz Poems. His poem "Black Cat Blues" was featured in The Best American Poetry 2005. Young's poems have appeared in many well-known magazines. These include The New Yorker and Poetry Magazine. He has also written about art for museums.
His 2003 book of poems, Jelly Roll, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Young received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003. He also received a Literature Fellow award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Leadership Roles and Recent Work
After teaching at other universities, Young taught writing at Emory University. He was a professor there. He also managed a large collection of rare poetry books. In September 2016, Young became the Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This center is part of the New York Public Library.
In March 2017, he was chosen as the poetry editor for The New Yorker. He started this role in November 2017. Young has also been working on two new books. One is a non-fiction book called Bunk. It is about the history of lies and hoaxes in the U.S. The other is a poetry collection. He said this collection is about African American history. It also includes his personal history of growing up in Kansas.
In September 2020, he was named director of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. He started this important role in January 2021. Young has also been recognized by several important groups. These include the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. As of July 2025, he has been on personal leave from leading the museum.
Kevin Young's Personal Life
Kevin Young lives in Washington, D.C.
Awards and Honors
- 1992: Harvard University, Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for Most Way Home
- 1993: National Poetry Series for Most Way Home
- 1993: Ploughshares, John C. Zacharis First Book Prize for Most Way Home
- 2003: Patterson Poetry Prize
- 2003: National Book Award (Poetry) (finalist) for Jelly Roll
- 2003: Guggenheim Fellowship
- 2007: Patterson Poetry Prize for Sustained Literary Achievement
- 2009: United States Artists, Fellow Award
- 2013: PEN Open Book Award for The Grey Album
- 2014: Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for Book of Hours
- 2015: Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize for Book of Hours
- 2016: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2017: Thomas Wolfe Prize
- 2017: Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Nonfiction for Bunk
- 2017: Georgia Writers Hall of Fame Inductee
- 2021: T. S. Eliot Prize (shortlist) for Stones
- 2024: Harvard Arts Medal
