author
Ernest Howard Culbertson
1886–1972
A pioneering newsreel editor and journalist who also wrote for the stage and screen, he moved easily between reporting, drama, and early motion-picture storytelling. He is especially remembered for Goat Alley, a play that drew attention for its portrayal of Black life in Washington, D.C.
1 Audiobook
Goat Alley: A Tragedy of Negro Life
by Ernest Howard Culbertson
About the author
Born in New York on April 29, 1886, Ernest Howard Culbertson was an American writer whose career crossed several fields, including journalism, playwriting, screenwriting, and newsreel work. Sources describe him as also publishing under the names E. H. Culbertson and Howard Culbertson.
He began his career as a features writer for The Washington Times under William Randolph Hearst, then became an important figure in early newsreel journalism. In addition to reporting and editing, he wrote for film and the theater, building a body of work that reflected both literary ambition and an interest in contemporary social life.
Culbertson is best known in literary circles for Goat Alley: A Tragedy of Negro Life, first published in the early 1920s. He died in New York City in July 1972.