Russell Atkins “is a musician, playwright, and poet from Cleveland, Ohio,  known primarily for his contributions to American avant gard  poetry. He was born in 1926 and raised on Cleveland’s east side by three women – his mother, his grandmother, and his aunt Mae – after his father deserted the family. The family resided in Atkins’ aunt Mae’s home.

Trained as a musician and visual artist, Atkins studied at Cleveland College, Cleveland Music School Settlement, Cleveland Institue of Music, Karamu House and Cleveland School of Art.  His plays The Abortionist and The Corpse debuted in 1954. Following this, he founded Free Lance, A Magazine of Poetry and Prose in 1950 with his friend, Adelaide Simon, with the first issue containing an introduction by Langston Hughes.

Well into his 90s he continues to write and live in Cleveland, OH and has received much recent critical acclaim including the publication of Russell Atkins: On the Life & Work of an American Master, edited by Kevin Prufer & Michael Dumanis, 2013.

Read  more about Atkins here and here,

The biographical information above is quoted from wikepedia and the Guide to Kulchur Website