Jean Toomer was an American poet and novelist born on December 26, 1894, in Washington, D.C., to Nathan Toomer and Nina Pinchback. He is best known for his experimental and influential work Cane, a text considered central to both modernist literature and early 20th-century African American writing. Though often associated with the Harlem Renaissance, Toomer did not embrace that label, preferring to be seen as an artist whose vision transcended race. His mixed racial background shaped his complex views on identity and belonging, which deeply informed his writing. He briefly served as a school principal in Georgia, an experience that inspired much of the Southern imagery and material in Cane. Toomer studied at several institutions, including the University of Wisconsin Madison and the City College of New York, though he did not complete a degree. In his later years, he was drawn to philosophical and spiritual studies, particularly the teachings of George Gurdjieff. He married twice, first to Margery Latimer and later to Marjorie Content, with whom he had one child. Toomer died on March 30, 1967, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. His work remains notable for its formal innovation and exploration of race, art, and identity.
