03/01/2026
MARCH 1: Happy Birthday, RALPH ELLISON (1914-1994).
Named after poet Ralph Waldo Emerson by a father who surrounded him with books and culture from the day he was born, Ralph Waldo Ellison emigrated to New York from Oklahoma in 1936 where he was befriended by authors Langston Hughes and Richard Wright. In 1952, his first novel, "Invisible Man", was published to overwhelming acclaim. This existential work introduced an African American protagonist like none other the American reading public had so far encountered - a self-aware, sophisticated, and articulate black man who, despite alienation through racism, embraced his culture and celebrated his self-discovery. "Invisible Man" went on to win the 1953 National Book Award and has sold millions of copies to date. It will forever be cited as a seminal work of American literature.
March 1, 2025 marks the 111th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Ellison.
