A history of Black poets in Washington, DC, reveals how they have reflected and transformed American cultural discourse
Washington, DC, has long been home to a dynamic and vibrant African American literary community, despite often being overshadowed by the literary worlds of New York and Chicago. In No More Worlds to Conquer, the local poet Brian Gilmore uncovers the buried legacy of Black poets in Washington. He traces the literary life and politics of Black poets in the nation's capital since Paul Lawrence Dunbar, showing how well-known American poets, such as Sterling Brown and Jean Toomer, were mentored in DC by poets like May Miller and Georgia Douglas Johnson and making the case for the city as a center of American literature.
Gilmore draws on meticulous research, personal interviews, and his own deep knowledge of the local literary community to connect generations of writers and document a poetic community that transcends Washington. He reveals the intricate intersections, networks, and influences that have shaped the city's poets and how they have influenced American poetry for a century.
More than a historical account, No More Worlds to Conquer is a personal exploration that bridges the past and the present. Gilmore, who was born and raised in DC, illuminates this history and reflects on his own place in its literary tradition. This multigenerational account will resonate with poetry enthusiasts, local DC scholars, and anyone interested in the rich traditions of African American literature.
Reviews
"No More Worlds to Conquer is a love letter to DC, a place where African American poets have built a supportive literary community and a continuity of influence. In periods where support for Black voices has been lacking, this continuity has been crucial self-support—and Gilmore provides terrific historical context. He also adds his own personal experiences, which give deeper resonance to his descriptions of important organizations. No More Worlds to Conquer is generous in spirit and essential reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the culture of the nation's capital."—Kim Roberts, author, A Literary Guide to Washington, DC and By Broad Potomac's Shore: Great Poems from the Early Days of Our Nation's Capital
"Brian Gilmore's book charts a course from Paul Laurence Dunbar's time as an employee of the Library of Congress, through the days when Vachel Lindsay pretended to "discover" Langston Hughes at the Wardman Hotel, the days of DC Beats and go-go eruptions to a continuous groove of Black poetics that continues to enliven American language to this day, however unacknowledged."—Aldon Nielsen, George and Barbara Kelly Professor of American Literature, Penn State University and author of Heat Strings and coeditor with Lauri Rami of Every Goodbye Ain't Gone: An Anthology of Innovative Poetry by African Americans
About the Author
Brian G. Gilmore is the author of four books of poetry—elvis presley is alive and well and living harlem; Jungle Nights and Soda Fountain Rags: Poem for Duke Ellington; We Didn't Know Any Gangsters, an NAACP Image Award nominee and a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award nominee; and come see about me marvin, a Michigan Notable Book Award recipient. He is a public interest lawyer and a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland – College Park.
