Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: James Mercer Langston Hughes ( February 1 , 1902 â `` May 22 , 1967 ) was an American poet , novelist , playwright , and columnist .
Simplified: Langston Hughes ( 1902 â `` May 22 , 1967 ) was a famous American poet , novelist , playwright and short story writer .