Encyclopedia Of Detroit

Poet Naomi Long Madgett was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and grew up in East Orange, New Jersey. When she turned 13, her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri. She published her first book when she was 17 years old. Madgett earned her bachelor’s degree at Virginia State University and went on earn a M.Ed. at Wayne State University and a PhD at Greenwich University. Madgett moved to Detroit in 1946, having been mentored by poet Langston Hughes.

In 1960, Madgett joined a group of African American writers, which included Margaret Danner, Dudley Randall and Oliver LaGrone. Her poetry is filled with the themes of civil rights and African American spirituality, as well as influence from iconic writers Emily Dickinson, John Keats, and Langston Hughes.

Madgett has published eight volumes of her work, including Octavia and Other Poems, which follows her deep family history, by focusing on her aunt, Octavia Cornelia Long. Octavia was the co-winner of the 1988 “Creative Achievement Award” from the College Language Association. Aside from poetry, Madgett wrote Deep Rivers, which was a teacher’s guide in 1974, as well as A Student’s Guide to Creative Writing in 1980.

Starting in 1974, Madgett served as the publisher and editor of Lotus Press, Inc., which published many collections of poetry, most of them authored by African Americans. Madgett has also served as professor emerita of English at Eastern Michigan University and as a former teacher at Detroit’s Northwestern High School, where she introduced the first accredited courses in African American literature and creative writing.

In recognition of her significant accomplishments, Madgett has received numerous awards, including honorary degrees from Michigan State University, Siena Heights College and Loyola University in Chicago. Madgett was the recipient of an American Book Award, a Literature Award from the Arts Foundation of Michigan, and the coveted “Michigan Artist Award” from the Governor’s Arts Awards. She was named the Poet Laureate for the City of Detroit in 2001.