John O. Killens

Born: January 14, 1916
Died: October 27, 1986

The novelist John Oliver Killens was born in Macon, Georgia, to Charles Myles Sr. and Willie Lee (Coleman) Killens. He credits his relatives with fostering in him cultural pride and literary values—his father had him read a weekly column by Langston Hughes; his mother, president of the Dunbar Literary Club, introduced him to poetry; and his great-grandmother filled his boyhood with the hardships and tales of slavery. Such early exposure to criticism, art, and folklore is evident in his fiction, which is noted for its accurate depictions of social classes, its engaging narratives, and its successful layering of African-American history, legends, songs, and jokes. – Encyclopedia.com