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Paul Laurence Dunbar Specials Coming To WVXU & CET Arts

Paul Laurence Dunbar

On 91.7 WVXU, 88.5 WMUB and wvxu.org - Sunday, April 2 at 9pm:

Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar are forever linked much in the same way that Hal Holbrook and Mark Twain have been. Dr. Martin, who was a poet-in residence and English professor at the University of Dayton for over 30 years, travels the country dressed in late 19th century clothing portraying Mr. Dunbar, the first African American poet to capture the nation’s attention in the late 1800’s. During this hour, one can imagine sitting in Paul Laurence Dunbar’s house, which is now a museum in Dayton, Ohio, listening to the poet entertain his guests.

There will also be excerpts from a cd by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra performing William Grant Still and featuring Dr. Martin's recitation of Dunbar's work.

ON CET Arts - Thursday, April 6 at 8pm - "Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask"

This documentary examines the life and legacy of the first African American to achieve national fame as a writer. Born to former slaves in Dayton, Ohio, Paul Laurence Dunbar, is best remembered for his poem, “We Wear the Mask” and for lines from “Sympathy” that became the title of Maya Angelou’s famous autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”