African American poet, Shane McCrae (b. circa 1976) was born in Portland, Oregon to a white mother and Black father. He was 3 years old when he was kidnapped by his white grandparents who told the young Shane that his father had abandoned him.
Shane dropped out of high school, but later went on to a community college. In addition to other degrees, he has a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School (2007) and a Master of Arts from the University of Iowa (2012).
Shane McCrae now teaches creative writing at Columbia University. He has published 10 volumes of poetry.
Shane McCrae has recently released his memoir, Pulling the Chariot of the Sun, in which he explores life with his racist grandparents (which included being beaten), occasional visits from his mother, his unhappy experience at school, and how he found his way to poetry.