William Stanley Braithwaite
Encyclopedia
William Stanley Beaumont Braithwaite (December 6, 1878 – June 8, 1962) was an American writer
, poet
and literary critic.
Braithwaite was born in Boston
, Massachusetts. At the age of 12, upon the death of his father, Braithwaite was forced to quit school to support his family. At age 15 he apprenticed to a typesetter for the Boston publisher, Ginn & Co., where he discovered an affinity for lyric poetry and begun to write his own poems.
From 1906 to 1931 he contributed to The Boston Evening Transcript
, eventually becoming its literary editor. He also wrote articles, reviews and poetry for many other periodicals and journals, including Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times, and the New Republic
In 1918 he was awarded the Spingarn Medal
by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP).
In 1935, Braithwaite assumed a professorship of creative literature at Atlanta University. He retired from Atlanta University in 1945.
In 1946 he, his wife, Emma Kelly, and their seven children moved to Sugar Hill
, a neighborhood in Harlem
, New York
, where Braithwaite continued to write and publish poetry, essays and anthologies. He died in his home at 409 Edgecombe Avenue in Harlem after a brief illness, on June 8, 1962.
William Stanley Braithwaite published three volumes of his own poetry:
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and literary critic.
Braithwaite was born in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts. At the age of 12, upon the death of his father, Braithwaite was forced to quit school to support his family. At age 15 he apprenticed to a typesetter for the Boston publisher, Ginn & Co., where he discovered an affinity for lyric poetry and begun to write his own poems.
From 1906 to 1931 he contributed to The Boston Evening Transcript
Boston Evening Transcript
The Boston Evening Transcript was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941.-Beginnings:...
, eventually becoming its literary editor. He also wrote articles, reviews and poetry for many other periodicals and journals, including Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times, and the New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
In 1918 he was awarded the Spingarn Medal
Spingarn Medal
The Spingarn Medal is awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for outstanding achievement by an African American....
by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP).
In 1935, Braithwaite assumed a professorship of creative literature at Atlanta University. He retired from Atlanta University in 1945.
In 1946 he, his wife, Emma Kelly, and their seven children moved to Sugar Hill
Sugar Hill, Manhattan
Sugar Hill is a neighborhood in the northern part of Hamilton Heights, which itself is a sub-neighborhood of Harlem, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is defined by 155th Street to the north, 145th Street to the south, Edgecombe Avenue to the east, and...
, a neighborhood in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where Braithwaite continued to write and publish poetry, essays and anthologies. He died in his home at 409 Edgecombe Avenue in Harlem after a brief illness, on June 8, 1962.
William Stanley Braithwaite published three volumes of his own poetry:
- Lyrics of Life and Love, 1904,
- The House of Falling Leaves, 1908
- Selected Poems, 1948.