User:Emelkins/Lewis Grandison Alexander

Lewis Grandison Alexander (July 4, 1900 - 1945?) Was an American poet, actor, playwright, and costume designer who, although he lived in Washington D.C., has strong ties to theHarlem Renaissance period in New York. Despite being multi-talented, Alexander focused most of his time and creativity toward the poetry for which he is best known. Although he died at the young age of 45, this young poet was significantly involved in the Harlem Renaissance movement.

Early Life, Education and Style
Lewis Alexander was born July 4, 1900 in Washington D.C. As a child, he was educated in the Washington public school system. Little to no biographical information is available on Alexander until, at the age of 17, he began writing poetry; he took special interest in Japanese forms including Haiku, Hokku, and [|Taka]. Alexander went on to study at Howard University in Washington D.C. where he was an active member of the Howard Players--the school's theater group. Alexander later continued his studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Although far from all of his poems are in Japanese forms, Alexander expresses a special interest in these Japanese forms and is one of few Black American poets to write in these styles. "Hughes, Helene Johnson, and Lewis Alexander deserve recognition as important modernist verse because they make key forms of modernist poetry - free verse, imagism, and dramatic monologue - into racial critique"

Poetry and Publication
Alexander's notoriety as a poet can best be exemplified by his publications in many popular journals and magazines. Throughout his career, he was published regularly with other Harlem Renaissance greats such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Bennett, and Countee Cullen. As early as 1923, Alexander wrote an article on the topic of Japanese Hokku that was published, along with two of his poems, in the December 1923 edition of The Crisis. He managed to be published several times in Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life--a popular literary magazine associated with the Harlem Renaissance edited by Charles S. Johnson-- from 1925-1929. The first of these appearances occurred in a trio of African-themed poems alongside poems by Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. Alexander's most popularly anthologized work, a short poem entitled "Negro Woman" was published in Opportunity at least twice and appears in multiple anthologies. In 1927, Alexander, along with many other poets (most notably Langston Hughes) and writers set out to create a literary quarterly expressing the Black experience in America. Unfortunately, Fire!! only produced one issue due to the ironic burning of the magazine's headquarters. In this one issue, Alexander managed to publish 2 poems: "Little Cinderalla", A poem often thought to be about a young, black prostitute, and another short verse entitled "Streets".

Alexander was also published outside of the United States. In October 1926, Alexander appeared in a special issue of The Palms, a poetic journal based in Guadalajara, Mexico. This special issue, edited by Countee Cullen included two poems by Alexander. The appearance of "A Collection of Japanese Hokku" and "Dream Song" in this international journal shows Alexander's significance in spreading both the Japanese poetry forms and Harlem Renaissance thinking.

Contribution to the Harlem Renaissance
Although Lewis Alexander didn't live in Harlem, he was an active participant in the Harlem Renaissance movement. In fact, his existence outside of Harlem helped to spread the inventive new thinking that flourished at the time in New York. After writing extensively in Washington, Alexander moved around the country and joined whichever literary circle that existed in his new city. In Philadelphia, he was associated with a group of young writers who were commonly published in the small-time "Black Opals" literary magazine. In Boston he appeared in the "Saturday Evening Quill".

Lewis Alexander was also heavily influential at the University of North Carolina where he served as honorary editor for the special issues of The Carolina Magazine, the official literary publication of the students of the University, which featured black poets and writers. With Alexander's help (He selected works from Crisis and Opportunity writing and poetry contest), the magazine continued to publish Negro Poetry Numbers" and Negro Play Numbers". In fact, the continued issues of the "Negro Poetry Numbers" were dedicated to Lewis Alexander.

Theater
Although he is best known for his work as a poet, Lewis Alexander was also a playwright, actor, and costume designer.

After participating in the theater while attending Howard University, Alexander joined the Play writers circle of Washington D.C. There, he directed all the plays put on the Randall Community Center in Washington as well as all the plays put on by the Ira Aldridge Players. He also studied and toured with The Ethiopian Art Theatre/Players. During their 1923 tour, in which they opened for Broadway, Alexander appeared in Oscar Wilde's Salome and The Comedy of Errors