James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue" which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue". Harlem’s most famous poet captured the rhythms and spirit of African-American music, especially in jazz and blues, within his works. He wrote poems, stories, plays, essays, autobiographies, and histories that helped to portray the African-American experience.