Langston Hughes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REFER: VIVIENNE STENSON
41 Collier Street
Toronto, Ontario.

WA 1-0648

LANGSTON HUGHES TO PRESENT "POETRY BORN OF MUSIC" AT STRATFORD

Langston Hughes, eminent American Negro poet and author, will appear twice at Stratford on July 23rd, once in a poetry-with-jazz presentation as part of the Festival jazz series.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Hughes will give a solo performance of his work as part of the two-Day Folksong and Jazz Session that takes place on July 23 and 24. In a letter to Vivienne Stenson of Toronto, who is organising the Session, he says:

"For the 3 p.m. program, I will read various of my poems with a biographical background, describing how in some cases the poems were written, and stressing particularly their folk sources in the blues, spiritual and jazz idioms. If you desire a title, it could be.... POETRY BORN OF MUSIC."

Most of the poetry of Hughes has been influenced by the rhythm of blues and jazz. The first to attract widespread interest to the work of Langston Hughes was *The Weary Blues*, which received the Opportunity poetry award in the early 1920's and served as the title of his first book. Since then, 55-year old Hughes has had numerous volumes of his poetry published, has had eleven plays produced, written opera librettos and musicals. His musical play "Simply Heavenly", that was originally produced off-Broadway, is now playing at the Adelphi Theatre in London, England.

Only people who register before July 1st for Vivienne Stenson's 2-Day Session will hear the Langston Hughes presentation, Poetry Born of Music.

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