Léon-Gontran Damas (1912–1978) was born in Cayenne, French Guiana. He was the first of the Négritude writers to produce poetry, publishing individual poems in
Esprit(1934) and
L’Étudiant noir(1935), as well as a collection of poetry,
Pigments(1937). He also edited an anthology of poetry,
Poètes d’expression française(1947). Damas’s later works include poetry:
Graffiti(1953)
, Black-Label(1956)
, Poèmes nègres sur des airs africains(1948)
, Névralgies(1966); accounts of folklore:
Veillées noires(1943);
Poèmes nègres sur des airs africains; and essays and journalistic writings:
Retour de Guyane(1938); “1789 et nous les noirs” (1939);“Misères noires” (1939). His writing is often humorous or satirical, consistently visceral, and always critical of race and…
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Citation: Miller, Francis B. "Léon-Gontran Damas". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 June 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12582, accessed 25 November 2024.]
