Jean Toomer

Jean Toomer (1894–1967) was an American writer whose innovative work helped shape literary modernism. He is best known for *Cane* (1923), a genre-blending book that combines poetry, prose, and drama to portray Black life in the rural South and urban North. Though often linked with the Harlem Renaissance, Toomer resisted being confined to a single racial or artistic category. Born in Washington, D.C., he attended several schools, including the University of Wisconsin, without taking a degree. After *Cane*, he published additional writing but never matched its impact, later turning much of his attention to spiritual and philosophical pursuits.