Margaret Danner
Margaret Esse Danner was an influential African American poet born in Kentucky and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She discovered her passion for poetry at a young age, winning her first prize for a poem titled "The Violin" in eighth grade. Danner pursued higher education at Loyola University and Northwestern University, later becoming the first African American editor at the prestigious magazine Poetry: The Magazine of Verse in 1956. In 1961, she transitioned to a role as poet-in-residence at Wayne State University in Detroit, where she founded Boone House, an arts center aimed at enriching the lives of children in the inner city. Danner collaborated with notable African American poet Dudley Randall to publish "Poem/Counterpoem" in 1966, which focused on themes relevant to the Black experience. Her travels to Africa inspired much of her later work, as she sought to explore and incorporate African culture into her poetry. Throughout her later years, she continued to create and publish, ultimately producing two more volumes before her passing in Chicago in 1986. Danner's contributions to literature and her advocacy for arts education have left a lasting impact in the literary community.
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Margaret Danner
Poet
- Born: January 12, 1915
- Birthplace: Pryorsburg, Kentucky
- Died: May 1, 1986
- Place of death: Chicago, Illinois
Biography
Margaret Esse Danner, a twentieth century African American poet, was born in Kentucky and moved to Chicago, Illinois, when she was an infant. She discovered her talent for poetry while in the eighth grade, when she wrote her first prize-winning poem, “The Violin.” Danner attended Loyola University and Northwestern University in Chicago. After finishing her studies, she began working at the magazine Poetry: The Magazine of Verse. In 1956, she became the first African American to be an editor at the magazine. In 1961, she left her position at Poetry and took a job as poet-in-residence at Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan. While in Detroit, she established Boone House, an inner-city arts center for children.
In 1966, Danner and the prominent African American poet Dudley Randall published a volume of black-themed poetry titled Poem/Counterpoem. After completing this publication, she traveled to Africa, where she read her poetry and studied African culture. Her experiences in Africa served as the inspiration and theme for many of her future poetic works. In her later years, Danner returned to America, where she produced two more volumes of poetry. Margaret Esse Danner died in Chicago in 1986.