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United States Kevin Young is an American poet, professor, and editor, who has held significant leadership roles including Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Kevin Young serves as the Poetry Editor for The New Yorker magazine and hosts the magazine's Poetry Podcast. He has contributed various articles and edited volumes related to poetry for the publication.
Kevin Young was the Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library from 2016 to 2020.
Kevin Young discusses AGAR's approach to brand partnerships, focusing on intentional integration into the fan journey that feels natural, meaningful, and memorable.
High Bridge Audio is mentioned as the source for information on the audio version of Kevin Young's book 'Bunk'.
Kevin Young participated in a microinterview with The Believer, discussing the evolution of poetry and his observations from editing The New Yorker anthology.
Penguin Random House facilitated an announcement for 'Kevin Young and Robin Coste Lewis: Two Writers Talking...', highlighting Young's roles as director of the Schomburg Center and poetry editor for The New Yorker, and his twelve books.
The Atlantic published a piece titled 'Faith' by Kevin Young, noting his authorship of 16 books of poetry and prose.
An article from Virginia Tech News highlights Kevin Young's role as an acclaimed poet and editor, illuminating Black culture, and mentions his book 'Brown' as featured on 'The Daily Show with Trevor Noah'.
Muck Rack lists Kevin Young as a Poetry Journalist for The New Yorker, providing his articles and contact information.
Kevin Young, as The New Yorker poetry editor, led a reading at the 92nd Street Y celebrating a century of poetry from the magazine.
William Morrow published Kevin Young's debut collection 'Most Way Home' in 1995.
Alfred A. Knopf has published several of Kevin Young's poetry collections, including 'Jelly Roll: A Blues' (2003), 'For the Confederate Dead: Poems' (2007), 'Dear Darkness: Poems' (2008), 'Ardency: A Chronicle of the Amistad Rebels' (2011), 'Book of Hours: Poems' (2014), 'Blue Laws: Selected & Uncollected Poems, 1995-2015' (2016), and 'Brown: Poems' (2018).
Graywolf Press published Kevin Young's non-fiction book 'Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News' (2017).
Jonathan Cape Ltd published Kevin Young's poetry collection 'Stones' (2021).
Bloomsbury published Kevin Young's edited anthologies 'The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing' (2010) and 'The Hungry Ear: Poems of Food & Drink' (2012).
Kevin Young's non-fiction book 'Bunk' (2017) was a New York Times Notable Book, and his book 'The Grey Album' (2012) was listed as a New York Times Notable Book.
Kevin Young was born on November 8, 1970, in Lincoln, Nebraska. His early life involved frequent relocations due to his parents’ careers, with his father, Dr. Paul E. Young, an ophthalmologist, and his mother, Dr. Azzie Young, a chemist. The family eventually settled in Topeka, Kansas, where Young began pursuing writing at age thirteen after attending a summer writing class at Washburn University. He attended Harvard College, studying with Seamus Heaney and Lucie Brock-Broido, and graduated in 1992. He also held a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University from 1992 to 1994 and earned his Master of Fine Arts from Brown University, where Michael S. Harper was a significant influence. During his time in Boston and Providence, Young was a member of the African-American poetry group the Dark Room Collective.
Young’s career highlights include the publication of his debut poetry collection, “Most Way Home,” in 1995, which won the National Poetry Series and Ploughshares’ John C. Zacharis First Book Award. He has since authored over 11 books and edited eight others. His 2003 collection, “Jelly Roll: A Blues,” was a finalist for the National Book Award. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003 and an NEA Literature Fellow in Poetry. Academically, Young served as the Atticus Haygood Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University, and curator of the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library. In March 2017, he was named poetry editor of The New Yorker, a role he commenced in November 2017. He is known for his extensive literary contributions and leadership in cultural institutions, making significant impacts in both fields.
His institutional leadership began in September 2016 when he became the Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. A turning point in his career came in September 2020, with his appointment as director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a position he officially started in January 2021. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Society of American Historians. In 2020, he was named a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. Young has also authored non-fiction works like “Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News” (2017), which was a New York Times Notable Book and longlisted for the National Book Award, and “The Grey Album” (2012), which won the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize and the PEN Open Book Award.
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