by A.J. Kinney
Waring Currey's poem "Charles Parker, 1920-1955" on wall of building at Langegracht 72, Leiden, The Netherlands. Photo by Tubantia. Licensed under Creative Commons, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
William Waring Cuney (May 6, 1906 - June 30, 1976) was an African-American poet who made important contributions to the Harlem Renaissance.[1]
Life[]
Cuney was born in Washington, D.C.. As he grew up, he abandoned his 1st name, going by only Waring Cuney. He decided to take up singing, soon after graduating from Howard University, and so attended the New England Conservatory of Music. He was never very successful, and so switched his time to writing.
While in Howard University, Waring met Langston Hughes, and they became good friends. Along with a few other people, they became known as the Lincoln University poets, for the university that they later attended. Not too long afterward, Cuney helped Hughes and many other poets publish the failed periodical Fire!! For the only issue, Cuney wrote a poem called "Death Bed." Besides that particular magazine, he appeared in Harlem Quarterly, Negro Quarterly, Crisis, and Black World.
Waring Cuney (1906-1976). Courtesy Harlem Renaissance Poets.
In 1941, Cuney started work on a collaboration with Josh White. It was entitled Southern Exposure, and was a collection of songs based on the Cuney's poems. A contemporary called it "the first full-fledged Civil Rights record album" (Waring), and it was one of the earliest recording of blues to be featured in the New York Times.[1]
In 1963, Cuney cut off contact to the world, living as a recluse. He did not emerge again until 1970, and only then to comment on a harsh review of his work. Only a few years before his death, a new collection of his works was published, called Storefront Church. After a life filled with a love of poetry, he died on June 30, 1976.[1]
Writing[]
According to the Poetry Foundation, Cuney's poem "No Images" "remains a significant representation of the basic philosophy of the Harlem Renaissance and has been widely anthologized and translated; it is Cuney’s most famous poem."[2]
Recognition[]
At the age of 18, he had already won a contest, the Opportunity contest, with his poem "No Images".[2]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- Four Lincoln University Poets: Waring Cuney, William Allyn Hill, Edward Silvera, Langston Hughes.. Chester County, PA: Lincoln University, 1930.
- Puzzles. Utrecht, Netherlands: De Roos, 1960.
- Storefront Church. London: P. Breman, 1973.
Edited[]
- Lincoln University Poets: Centennial anthology, 1854-1954 (edited with Langston Hughes & Bruce Wright). New York: Fine Editions Press, 1954.
No Images - William Waring Cuney
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[3]
See also[]
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 William Waring Cuney, Gale Contemporary Black Biography (Gale Group 2006), Web, Aug. 27, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 William Waring Cuney 1906-1976, Poetry Foundation, Web, Aug. 27, 2012
- ↑ Search results = au:Waring Cuney, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, June 20, 2014.
External links[]
- Poems
- Books
- William Waring Cuney 1906-1976 at Amazon.com
- About
- William Waring Cuney in Gale Contemporary Black Biography.
- Brian Gilmore on Waring Cuney, Beltway Quarterly.
This article uses Creative Commons licensed content from the Harlem Renaissance Wiki. Original article is at William Waring Cuney: a star among African-American poets
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