May Miller
May Miller was an influential African American playwright and poet, born on January 26, 1899, in Washington, D.C. She grew up in an intellectually stimulating environment, influenced by her father, a sociology scholar and dean at Howard University, and her mother, a teacher. Miller attended Howard University, where she earned a B.A. and began her journey in the arts by joining the Howard University Players and writing plays. She was notable for her contributions to African American literature, particularly through her plays "Graven Images" and "Ridin' the Goat," which were included in the anthology *Plays and Pageants from the Life of the Negro*.
Throughout her career, Miller transitioned from teaching high school drama and speech to focusing on poetry, completing a collection titled *Into the Clearing*, published in 1959. She also engaged in teaching positions at various institutions as a poet-in-residence during the 1960s. Her work often drew from folklore and addressed universal themes, connecting deeply with both historical context and broader human experiences. Miller passed away on February 8, 1995, leaving behind a legacy as a key figure in dramatizing Negro history and a respected voice in American poetry.
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May Miller
Playwright
- Born: January 26, 1899
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
- Died: February 8, 1995
- Place of death: Washington, D.C.
Biography
May Miller was born in Washington, D. C., on January 26, 1899. Her father, Kelley Miller, was a dean at Howard University and a scholar of sociology. He also wrote poetry. Her mother, Annie May Butler Miller, was a teacher in the Baltimore public schools. She grew up in a house located on the university campus, surrounded by intellectuals. Her early literary influences were Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, and the South Carolina folk stories of Br’er Rabbit and Uncle Remus. In 1916, she enrolled at Howard University, where she earned a B.A. degree. Eventually, she married John Sullivan, a United States postal supervisor.
While in college, Miller joined the Howard University Players and began writing plays. After graduation, she began teaching speech and drama at Fredrick Douglas High School in Baltimore, Maryland. She continued her creative work in drama. In 1930, two of Miller’s plays, “Graven Images” and “Ridin’ the Goat,” were anthologized in Plays and Pageants from the Life of the Negro. Written at the request of Carter Woodson of Morgan College, Negro History in Thirteen Plays was published in 1934.
After teaching for twenty years, Miller left her high school position in 1944, and devoted herself to writing poetry. She began by enrolling in a poetry workshop with Inez Boulton, a follower of the imagist movement. In 1945, her poem, “Tally” was published in the Antioch Review. In 1948, three of her poems were published in Poetry magazine. Her first collection of poetry, Into the Clearing, was published in 1959.
During the 1960’s, Miller began teaching again. She served as poet-in-residence at Monmouth College; the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Bluefield, West Virginia College; and Exeter Academy. In 1925, Miller received third prize from Opportunity magazine for her one-act play, “The Bog Guide.” She died February 8, 1995. Although Miller is best known for her dramatizations of Negro history, her work, grounded in folklore, reaches a wide audience, especially her poetry, which explores universal themes centered within the natural and spiritual worlds.