American

James A. Bland, perhaps the greatest African-American folksong writer, was born in 1854 in Flushing, New York. His father, who received a law degree from Howard University, was the first African American appointed examiner to the United States Patent Office.

Lucille Bogan, (nee Armstrong) was born in Amory, Mississippi, on April 1, 1897 and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. She married Nazareth Bogan, with whom she had two children. Bogan, who also used the pseudonym Bessie Jackson, was a blues writer and performer, known for her explicit lyrics, which covered topics such as sex, prostitution and alcoholism.

• Brown, Ashley. "Robert Lowell". Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 169: American Poets Since World War II, Fifth Series. A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Edited by Joseph Conte, State University of New York at Buffalo. Gale Research, 1996. pp. 165-178.

• Dewey, Anne Day. "Denise Levertov". Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 165: American Poets Since World War II, Fourth Series. A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Edited by Joseph Conte, State University of New York at Buffalo. Gale Research, 1996. pp. 147-164.

For more poems, see the Academy of America Poets

• Once in the 40's
• With Kit, Age 7, at the Beach

and The Poetry Foundation

• Feinstein, Elaine. Bessie Smith. New York, NY: Viking, 1985. ML420 .S667 F44 1985 University of Toronto Music Library.

• Tubb, Benjamin Robert. "The Music of Septimus Winner". Public Domain Music. 12 Feb 2009. Public Domain Music. 4 Aug 2009 .

• Hunting, Constance. "May Sarton". Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 48: American Poets, 1880-1945, Second Series. A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Edited by Peter Quartermain, University of British Columbia. The Gale Group, 1986. pp. 376-386.

For more poems, see the Academy of America Poets