About the Author

Mari Evans was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1923. In 1969 she served as a writer in residence at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and taught courses about African American literature. She also worked as a writer in residence at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. From 1968 to 1973 she produced, wrote, and directed the TV program The Black Experience. As a writer, Mari Evans has produced poetry, short fiction, children's books, and theater pieces, including a musical based on Their Eyes Were Watching God. Evans is also an activist for prison reform.