Henry Dumas
Henry Dumas was a tragically short-lived literary genius, killed at thirty-three in 1968 by a New York Transit Authority policeman in a case of mistaken identity.
Despite his brief life, he left behind manuscripts of poetry and short fiction published posthumously, largely through efforts by Eugene Redmond, Toni Morrison, and Quincy Troupe.
Celebrated by literary giants including James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Maya Angelou, Dumas was hailed as the most original Afro-American poet of the sixties.
His work masterfully blended natural and supernatural elements, music, beauty, and revolutionary politics across poetry, short fiction, and an unfinished novel.
