With his father against his choice to be a writer Hughes pressed on, not persuaded. If anything the short visit inspired Hughes to prove his father wrong and become a successful writer. Langston Hughes entered the world of published authors early on in his career. According to Byers, "The poem "A Negro Speaks of River", which marked this development, appeared in the Crisis in 1921" (18). A couple of years into Hughes" writing career, he was first published at the early age of nineteen. Although enjoying writing, Hughes still wanted to experience the world. Up until this point in the young author's life Hughes spent the majority of his life in the mid-west United States. Langston Hughes wanted to see Africa and Europe. Hughes set out and accomplished his goal and traveled the world working on a freight-ship. After spending about a year abroad Hughes" work began to appear, mainly in African American publications, but Vanity Fair published three (Byers 18). The more Langston Hughes could experience the more well rounded his views became. Hughes was able to see many different types of people and their views on the African American. Most of all Hughes gained a newfound respect for being an African American living in America.
Hughes wrote about the many aspects of African American life. Langston Hughes loved writing so much he wrote in many different styles not just books or magazines. Langston Hughes is not just a writer he is, "a poet, fiction writer, dramatist, anthologist, songwriter, autobiographer and biographer, author of children's books, librettist, translator, writer of radio and TV scripts- (Logan 332). Hughes wrote all of these because of the profound love and interest in what he does. Hughes never looked at writing as just a way to make a living; Hughes looked at writing as a passion. Always growing and expanding his writing technique, Langston Hughes even created new ways to write.