Born Everett Leroy Jones October 7, 1934, deceased- January 9, 2014 at age 79. This American writer was a poet actor, teacher, theater director, theater producer, activist. He was the author of numerous books of poetry and taught at several universities, including the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University. He received a PEN/Beyond Margins award in 2008 for Tales of the Out and the Gone. His career spanned almost 52 years and his themes ranged from black liberation to white racism. Some of his most famous poems are, “The Music: Reflection on Jazz and Blues,” “The Book of Monk,” and “New Music, New Poetry.” His work drew on topics from the world of society, music, and literature. Some people criticized him as being edgy and controversial. However, his poetry and writing have been championed as some of the most respected and most widely published of his generation.