A native of
Smithville, Texas, United States, He attended high school in Texas City, Texas. In the late 1960s, he attended
North Texas State University for two years, then moved to New York City and went on tour with
Rahsaan Roland Kirk. (
Columbia University Press, 2024). The book has been nominated for the
Pulitzer Prize in Biography, the
National Book Award, and the
National Book Critics Circle Award. He has also published three volumes of poetry:
The Ripest of My Fruits;
Trilogy: Freedom Dance Cycle; and
Love Poems to God. ==Awards and honors==