May Miller

May Miller was born on January 26, 1899, in Washington, D.C. Her father, Kelly Miller, was a well-known scholar, professor, and sociologist at Howard University, and their home often served as a gathering place for Black intellectuals and artists of the era.

Miller first gained recognition as a playwright during the Harlem Renaissance. Her 1925 play The Bog Guide placed third in Opportunity magazine’s contests, a notable achievement among her peers. Some plays, including her historical dramas about Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, were anthologized in Negro History in Thirteen Plays in 1935.

She remained active as a poet and lecturer, reading her work at significant occasions such as the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter in 1977. She passed on February 8, 1995, in Washington, D.C.

Poetry Collections

• Into the Clearing (1959)
• Poems (1962)
• Lyrics of Three Women (1964), with Katie L. Lyle and Maude Rubin
• Not That Far (1973)
• The Clearing and Beyond (1974)
• Dust of Uncertain Journey (1975)
• Halfway to the Sun (1981)
• The Ransomed Wait (1983)
• Collected Poems (1989)

Plays / Drama

• The Bog Guide (1925)
• Scratches (1929)
• Stragglers in the Dust (1930)
• Nails and Thorns (1933)