Melvin Donalson is a professor, poet, novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and essayist. After graduating from Bates College in 1973 with a degree in American History, Donalson attended the University of Iowa to obtain his M.A. in American Studies. After earning his Masters degree, he returned to Bates to teach English before obtaining a Ph.D. in American Studies from Brown University. Donalson has taught at  Bates College, University of California-Santa Barbara, Pasadena City College, UCLA, and California State University-Los Angeles, where he researched and taught African American Studies, American Literature, and Ethnicity in American Cinema. Donalson has written a total of seven books, multiple screenplays, and two plays. Currently, he is working to transition his play, Shout, into a feature film.