James Mercer Langston Hughes, better known as Langston Hughes was one of the most prominent authors in during the Harlem Renaissance. He was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri to Carrie Langston and James Hughes, who both separated shortly after his birth. Hughes lived with his maternal grandmother, Mary, until thirteen when she died. He then moved in with his mother in Cleveland, Ohio. This is when he started writing poetry. This is when Hughes started writing poetry, and was a regular contributor to the school’s literary magazine, and also frequently submitted his works to other magazines, but was rejected. He graduated from high school in 1920, and visited Mexico to try to convince his father to pay of Hughes’s college education