xt7h445hf319 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7h445hf319/data/mets.xml Kentucky. Department of Education. Kentucky Kentucky. Department of Education. 1951-03 bulletins English Frankford, Ky. : Dept. of Education This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.) Education -- Kentucky Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.), "Thoughts Have Wings", vol. XIX, no. 1, March 1951 text volumes: illustrations 23-28 cm. call numbers 17-ED83 2 and L152 .B35. Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.), "Thoughts Have Wings", vol. XIX, no. 1, March 1951 1951 1951-03 2022 true xt7h445hf319 section xt7h445hf319 9 Commonwealth of Kentucky 0 EDUCATIONAL BULLETIN "Thoughts Have Wings” Published by \ DEPARTM ENT EIF EDUCATION ‘ BOSWELL B. HODGKIN Superintendent of Public Instruction ISSUED MdNTHEY . Entered as second— class matter March 21,1933 at the post office at Frai§ fentucky, under the Act of August 24,1912.‘ * ‘ munch 195] "“1 No.1 v’.’ 4 FOREWORD This Bulletin is the third edition of “Thoughts Have Wings”. The first edition was issued as the January, 1947, Bulletin of the State Department of Education. The second edition was a mimeo- graphed publication, released through the State Department of Education in April, 1948. The first two editions contained examples of creative writings in verse and prose done by boys and girls in grades 1 through 12. This, the third edition, contains poetry writ- rlten and illustrated by Kentucky teachers. I trust that this publication will be received with enthusiasm by all of the teachers in Kentucky who are in position to develop love and appreciation of poetry in the minds and hearts of the boys and girls in our schools, and to encourage creative talent in this field. Gratitude is expressed to the teachers who cooperated with the committee by sharing their writings with all who may read this Bulletin. Genuine appreciation is extended to the following special com- mittee for the preparation of this unique and creative piece of work: Miss Rubie Smith, Chairman ______ Murray State College Miss Martha Shipman _____________ University High School Miss Claudia Payne _______________ Supervisor, Ft. Thomas Schools Miss Louise Combs _______________ State Department of Education Appreciation is also expressed to every contributor to the Ap- pendices, a significant part of this Bulletin. Plans are underway to use these three editions of “Thoughts Have Wings" as an approach to encouraging all schools of the Common- wealth to place some emphasis throughout the year on reading and writing of poetry and on growth and development of boys and girls through such learning experiences. Boswell B. Hodgkin Superintendent Public Instruction February 7, 1951 Thoughts Have Wings We are told that within every individual there is a desire to create. This innate creative drive expresses itsehC in many ways. Sometimes it is with paints, or clay, or charcoal that people express themselves. Sometimes it is with saws and wood working tools. Again, the draftsman’s board reveals a design, either simple or in— tricate. Often it is with words that people paint their thoughts and feelings. Possibly it is creative teachers who do the most to develop and nurture the innate creativity of children. Unfortunately, it can be teachers who do the most harm to children’s creative spirits. Many teachers, who do little writing themselves, free children to write and experience the joy of creating. Some teachers, however, write for the joy of self expression, often joining the children as they write. This bulletin is made up of poetry written by teachers in Ken- tucky. Part I contains verse written with no special audience in mind. Part II contains verse written for children. It is with a great d all of enthusiasm that the committee shares with other Kentucky teachers these poems. .The illustrations, creativity through artistic experiences, were done by Claudia Payne. Art Supervisor in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Committee. llnhie E, Smith, Chairman Murray State College Murray, Kentucky Martha Shipman University School Lexington, Kentucky Claudia Payne Art Supervisor Fort Thomas. Kentucky sire to ways. express ; tools. or in— its and op and can be Many ite and for the n Ken- 1 mind. deal of eat-hers :, were Lickv. 1'11] an illege .V l icky entncky THOUGHTS HAVE WINGS* (Cover page and all illustrations by Miss Claudia Payne, Art Supervisor, F mt Thomas) ° The title used for this bulletin and for the first issue in January, 1947, was created in 1946 by a group of children in the sixth grade of the Murray Training School. Miss Rubie Smith was the teacher. 3 POETRY‘< ...... To develop a love for poetry in a child, the teacher must love and appreciate poetry. In the presentation of poetry, the teacher should 1. Love and appreciate good poetry 2. Have a large and varied store of poems at her command 3. Know her poems well, though it is unnecessary to repeat them from memory Have a background of the best in poetry Enunciate well Improve her voice if necessary Speak distinctively, making the rythm felt N93911:“ No yardstick can measure the poetry age of a child. The teacher must try different poems until most of the children Show interest and appreciation. Saturate the children with good poetry. Give new poems, but also repeat often the poems you have read and found enjoyed. If a great deal of the best poetry is well presented at oppor- tune moments, there will be an arousing of an appreciation of and an interest in the best of poetry. It will lay the foundation for a love of the best available poems} ‘ ‘° From the State Department of Education Bulletin “A Kindergarten Guide”, September, 1950—Miss Carolyn Taylor7 Louisville, Chairman. st love teacher Lnd t them eacher :st and a new found oppor- md an a love Guido”, PART I TEACHERS WRITE POETRY Peace How still the field holds its soft weight of snow! Even the black water of the pond stands motionless Slow to reflect the fragile gold of sedge And the strange whiteness of apple trees Huddled about its edge. How still the field holds its soft weight of snow— Let those who walk across it softly go— Treasure its quietness— Talk not at all. Peace can be shattered By a loud footfall. LILLIAN Lowny Twilight Deep burnt orange and lilac purple Sunset gold and scarlet red, Powder blue and egg yolk yellow, Blended softly overhead. Fading slowly with the sunlight Dying embers float away, Throwing kisses with their shadows Bidding farewell to the day. Deeper, deeper gray light covers All the golden gleams of light; And the deepest shades of blackness Transform twilight into night. ERMA CARR LOAR Z :. :E Ea As Seen by Boone “As Seen By Boone . . 3’1 Last night I dreamed that through a silent wood Whose shadows oft had known some red-skinned band, A figure trod, in buck and moccasins, To stand once more atop the Cumberland. The Bluegrass carpet swept in waves of jade, The eastern coal fields lent a murky hue, \Vhile far away the northern cities’ towers Were needles stitching stars on skies of blue. \Vith shaded eyes the well-known figures gazed And seemed to pierce the shadows of the years. Beloved Kentuck—how lovely in the mist— His land of hopes and dreams~of prayers and tears! There was the home of Foster’s glowing dreams, The poetry in stone at Hodgenville, Tobacco fields and tasselled golden corn Which stretched across the vale and O’er the hill. And as the dawnlight gleamed along the ridge, It found a figure kneeling in the dew, And somewhere near, this whisper on the breeze, “My dreams of you, Kentucky, have all come true!” ALICE E. KENNELLY 1 Published in Bluegrass, a volume of verse by Miss Kennelly. Ballet Thought Swiftly the butterflies Gather around the phlox, Skim through the four o’clocks— Hover and rise. So, lightly, spirits rise, Soar with brief happiness After such loveliness, Swiftly, like butterflies. LILLIAN Lowan Behind the Dream3 . . . 1 never see a tree bud into leaf, Or watch a waxen rose unfold to light, Or feel the wind—a scarf of faint perfume That steals across the softly scented night, I never see a bird on homeward wing, Or catch the fading gleams of sunset’s glow, Without remembering in my heart of hearts The One whose mighty power hath made it so. ALICE E. KENNELLY HY,,. ’ Published in Bluegrass, a volume of verse by Miss Kennelly. 11 Thoughts Have Wings 12 Thoughts Thoughts have wings; they always will— And they can take us far. We need not have an airplane or even a motor car, For though we really are at home, Our thoughts need not be there. They have the fun of spreading wings, And traveling everywhere. SARA LAND 13 Spring is hanging out her signs To advertise her joys Her hawkers are the blue jays Who fill the air with noise The elm tree holds her laces Spread out against the sky The bluejays screamed the prices Come buy! Come buy! Come buy! LILLIAN LOWERY l4 Intruder You have walked a path That others may not walk; Have made old words Take new meanings;' Have smiled and made your way Into long-deserted halls; Have laughed, and made them echo With the sound. Your eyes have been gay, Kind, wise. You have made me laugh And look into myself, You have made me cry And curse you. You have forced your way Into my garden And walked a path Where others have not been And will not be. No other stranger Will smile his way Into this heart. LAURA VIRGINIA ROBERTS 15 The tree that grows the tallest Grows the closest to the sky Sees the first bright ray of morning Hears the thunder rolling by; But the tree that grows the shortest Grows the closest to the earth Hears the first small crickets calling Sees the first spring flower at birth. ERMA CARR LOAR OAR Snowfall Outside (I cannot see it but I know) The snow is falling heavily . . . \Veaving itself into a blanket To cover my world. To cleanse my world perhaps? No, to cover it. The hillsides, the trees, cease to be bare; An nntended garden—a garbage heap— Become a frosted wonderland and A gem—encrusted pyramid. A squalid cabin Is the Gingerbread Cottage—sugar coated— And a poorman’s yard or two of lawn ls sprinkled with diamonds. The snow falls silently . . . And covers the ugliness— It does not cleanse. LAURA VmGINIA ROBERTS 17 What will it be, oh, What will it be? What did you bring me from over the sea? A silver trinket, a strange perfume? Mementoes of Isfahan, Bagdad, Khartoum? A box, a jewel, a crocodile? Why—I brought you— a golden wait-awhile. Tell me truly, what did you bring? A fine, old painting, a golden ring? A turquoise, blue as the sky at Capri? Something wonderful—just for me? Exciting, exotic, sweet as a caress? Ah—I brought you— A silver nothingness. LILLIAN LOWERY ERY Purple Blue You ask me why my lips Are purple blue today? You do not know that yesterday I ran away And walked through meadows Wet with dew ‘ Until I found the Purple blue Of violets. And so my lips are Purple blue today Because I kissed each tiny one I found along the way, And now when I look into your eyes And smile to you You know my lips show Purple blue Of Violets. EnMA Cmm LoAn 19 H a r T O m 2 a e r D Dream Trail2 “How far away is Heaven?” I asked a silver star, He winked at me and whispered, “From earth—it’s very far.” “But how then must I reach it?” I questioned in dismay, While he, all twinkling, beckoned, “Come on, it’s up this way.” And so I tiptoed Skyward In shoes of dreamer blue, And softly kicked a cotton cloud To see if this were true. And when it bumped against the moon, I skipped the Milky Way! Then I lightly danced from star to star—— Convinced that I should stay. But as I reached the final step, Alas, I didn’t see The deep blue pool between the stars— and splash—Eternity! ALICE E. KENNELLY 2Published in Bluegrass, :1 volume of verse by Miss Kennelly. 21 Dawn in the Valley The dawn flowed out and over me Before I left the hill But ’round me in the valley Darkness sat still— So still that I stopped walking Across the valley’s cup And felt the dawn spill over me While I was looking up. LILLIAN LOWRY Rainbow Flowers The rainbow must have fallen down And scattered color all around; For yesterday up in the sky Rainbow color floated by, And now today it is not there, But painted flowers bloom everywhere. , ERMA CARR LOAR my 23 PART II TEACHERS WRITE VERSE FOR CHILDREN At ’the Barbershop Zip, go the scissors, zip, zip, zip! Clip, go the clippers, clip, clip, Clip! Down go the curly locks, down, down, down! >ROund goes the barber’s chair, Hound, ’round, ’roundl MARGARET MARRS 25 Little Bird While sitting in our apple tree I saw a little bird. And although he would sing to me He would not say a word. I said to him, “How-do-you—do,” Politely as I could; But he just 'chirped and flew away. I guess he thought he should. MARGARET MARRS IAlms The Yoyo I like to play with my bright yoyo; Watch it go high, watch it go low. I can twirl it and flip it and make it spin— And I hope in the tournament 3 prize I’ll Win. MARY DAWN VVALLINC 27 :23 LL : L: LL _:_ L - L _ \ “The Air Show” 28 r) ff :( L 3:5: _. The Air Show It’s lots of fun to watch the air show. I’ve been many times, did you ever go? The bombers and jet planes make lots of noise Buzz, whiz and zoom, go the girls and boys. It must be fun to fly so high, To touch the clouds as they go by— And as they fly low over fields so green They see the barns and farms so Clean. The rivers must look like a piece of brown thread; I hope they can see Gramp’s tobacco bed-— There’s the parachute man getting ready to jump; If he lands in a haystack he won’t get a bump. The pilots are bringing the planes in to land. The air show was fun, and so was the band. MARY DAWN \VALLING 29 Banana When you peel a banana, just go zip, zip, zip, But don’t step on the peeling or you’ll slip, slip, slip. MARY DAWN WALLING I 30 Corn 011 the Cob Corn 0n the cob is my favorite food. It’s salty and buttery and very good; It’s such a delicious vegetable friend; VVon’t you please pass the corn to me again? INC It exercises my teeth and my gums, I guess— But don’t you agree, it’s an awful mess? MARY DAWN WALLING 31 Chocolate Pie I took some mud and made a pie Chocolate, you know, Then took some suds from Mama’s wash To have meringue to go Upon the top so it w0uld be Exactly like the ones I see On pantry shelves. But when I went to serve it, Surprises were in store Because a baby fishing worm Came tumbling to the floor And all my friends who were at tea Got up and ran away from me. The scary cats! ERMA CARR LoAn A Telephone for Plants I wonder if the crocus has A calendar or Chart, Or else how would she know \Vhen it’s time for her to start Up through the snow? Someday when I have learned a lot I think I shall invent A telephone, so I can know And hear each message that is sent \Vhen flowers start to grow. ERMA CARR LOAR LOAR 33 Suckers Lime ones and lemon, And red suckers, too, I’ve only one penny, Oh! What will I do? JUANITA WILFORD 35 Little Bridges Thoughts are little bridges That you cross each day Whether you’re at home or school Or whether you’re at play. Little thoughts that take you Away to lands afar; Then quickly bring you back again To where you really are. ERMA Cmm LoAH ()AR Christmas I can hardly wait til Christmas, With a tree and presents gay. It makes all folks so happy— In a special sort of way. I can hardly wait til Christmas, With pudding and mince meat pie—- With lights and holly and tinkling bells And carolers passing by. Yes, Christmas is my favorite time, Of all the year most bright. For along with all the fun we have, It makes our hearts feel right. SARA LAND 37 About the Contributors To Parts I and II Claudia Payne, the illustrator of this bulletin, is Art Supervisor in Fort Thomas Public Schools. She is a graduate of Eastern State College, and is president of the Kentucky Branch of the Associa- tion for Childhood Education. Lillian Lowry is a supervising teacher in the Murray Training School, Murray, Kentucky. Mrs. Lowry has written many poems. It will be recalled that the poems of her daughter, Ann, were in the first volume of Thoughts Have Wings. Mrs. Lowry has published. Erma Carr Loar‘ teaches Third Grade in the McKinley School, Padu- cah, Kentucky. Since she was a small child she has written verse. Her poems for children have been written in the last five years. She has published some poems. Sara Land teaches Second Grade in the John G. Carlisle School, Cov- ington, Kentucky. Laura Virginia Roberts wrote her verse while attending Eastern State College, Richmond, Kentucky. Alice E. Kennelly is Dean of Girls at Holmes High School, Covington, Kentucky. She has published a volume of verse called Bluegrass. Her poem, “As Seen By Boone. . . won the Sesquicentennial Award in Kenton County in 1942. Juanita Wilford is a senior at Murray State College. She lives in Barlow, Kentucky. Her poem was done during her work as a major in Elementary Education. Mary Dawn Walling is Third Grade teacher in the Johnson School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Margaret Marrs is Sixth Grade teacher in Covington, Kentucky. Her poems were written while she was studying at the University of Cincinnati. .9? >.>.> sor in State ;socia- ch00], it will re first d. Padu- verse. years. , Cov- 1 State ngton, agrass. 'ennial ves in : as a tool in v. Her sity of APPENDICES Appendix A—Governor’s Proclamation Appendix B—History of Kentucky Poetry Day Appendix C—A History of Kentucky Literature Since 1913 Appendix D—Two Poems Contributed by Students PROCLAMATION By The GOVERNOR ‘ Of The Commonwealth of Kentucky To All To Whom These Presents Shall Come: WHEREAS, \VHEREAS, WHEREAS, The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Ken— tucky, being gathered in august assemblage, in biennial session of one thousand nine hundred forty-two, and being representative of the citizens of this Common- wealth, did, by resolution, recognize and acknowledge its obligation to stimulate and foster literary develop— ment through an instructive program emphasizing the lives and works of Kentucky poets; and, this resolution did authorize and direct the Governor to designate, by proclamation, the seventh day of April in each succeeding year as Kentucky Poetry Day, which day shall be to honor and preserve the memory of poets of Kentucky; and, it further provides that this day shall be observed with suitable activities by the citizens of the Commonwealth and by the study and special observance of poetry in the public schools of the state according to such program as may be determined by the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and, 41' WHEREAS, it is the will of the Governor and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to preserve and to perpetuate the name and memory of this proud Commonwealth through the literary achievements of its sons and daughters; and, WHEREAS, the lingual music and the meditative theoretics, ex- pressed in poetry, serve to inspire the minds and souls of youth to thoughts and deeds of lofty acclaim; NOW, THEREFORE, 1, Lawrence W. Wetherby, Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, do hereby proclaim the sev- enth clay of April, one thousand nine hundred fifty-one, as KENTUCKY POETRY DAY and request all citizens of the Commonwealth to join with the schools in observing through an appropriate program the memory of the leaders who have contrib- uted to the literature and poetry of Kentucky, such program to be developed through the leadership and stimulation of the Superintendent of Public Instruction Done at Frankfort, Kentucky, this the fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred fifty—one, and in the year of the Commonwealth the one hundred and fifty-ninth. LAWRENCE W. VVETHERBY, Governor GEORGE GLENN HATCHEE, Secretary of State. Hisu K since bery their Step1 Keen Poeti Pun-pr l. 2. 3. 4. Kent] ]. D is livj “A has 1: Exten Influe T1' the L tucky “K man’s tion, variat monot such z and it about tucky’: public tendent .ate the :hrough rs; and, ics, ex- [(1 souls n; 7 of the the sev- z-one, as . to join )ropriate contrib- (y, such ;hip and ;truction. the fifth )ur Lord one, and 1 the one 1‘1’101‘ APPENDIX B KENTUCKY POETRY DAY History of Kentucky Poetry Day Kentucky Poetry Day has had a definite place on the State Calendar since 1942, when a resolution, prepared by Mr. Marguerite T. Rose- bery of Louisville, establishing a date devoted to Kentucky poets and their poetry, was introduced in the Legislature by Representative Ray Stephenson, passed both houses and was duly signed by Governor Keen Johnson. In the resolution April 7 was designated as Kentucky Poetry Day. Purpose of Kentucky Poetry Day 1. To give honor and recognition to Kentucky poets 2. To develop greater love, appreciation, and knowledge of Ken— tucky poets and their writings 8. To encourage creative writing through stimulation and inspiration 4. To promote cultural growth and development. Kentucky’s Poet Laureate J. T. Cotton Noe is poet laureate of Kentucky. Dr. Noe who was a great teacher at the University of Kentucky is living now at Beverly Hill, California. “A Brief Anthology of Kentucky Poetry” compiled by J. T. C. Noe has been published by the University of Kentucky Department of Extension, Lexington, Kentucky. Influence of Kentucky Background The following paragraph contributed by Dr. Thomas D. Clark of the University of Kentucky points out that there is much in Ken— tucky that is indegenous to poetry: “Kentucky has inspired her poets from the beginning of the white man’s history. The natural beauty of the state has ever been an attrac- tion, especially in the changing seasons of spring and fall. The variations of the state’s topography has destroyed all geographical monotony. To, the historical development of the region has been of such a rugged nature that the epochal poet has found in the frontier and its pioneers, in its gallant soldiers, and in its folk past the material about which substantial Kentucky poetry has been composed. Ken- tucky’s poets have ever been appreciative of this fact. From the earliest publication of books and newspapers in the state down to the present, _ 43 the poet has been inspired to write and publish thoughts of his native land. Out of Kentucky’s literary history have come many major poets, and many Kentucky poems are among the best regional compositions in the Nation’s literature. “Few states in the Union have enjoyed the undying loyalty of their sons and daughters as has Kentucky. Though they are far removed from their homes, Kentuckians look back with nostalgia to the days when they lived in so pleasant a land, or they look forward to a day when they may be able to return. It is from this spirit of nostalgia that much of Kentucky’s poetry has sprung. Then there is the ever- present spirit of humor and good will which has bubbled over into folk poems of enduring value.” Biographical Sketch of Madison Cawein The following is an excerpt from a History of Kentucky by Clark:1 “The most finished poet of the whole Kentucky group was Madison Cawein. Cawein, born in Louisville, March 28, 1865, became one of America’s best lyric poets. Born of poor parents, he was forced to leave school at an early age to secure a job in a Louisville gambling house. Having a poet’s temperament, Cawein soon failed in business. In 1887 he published his first poems in a small booklet entitled “Blooms of the Berry”. With the appearance of his first publication the young Louisville poet attracted the attention of William Dean Howells and Thomas Bailey Aldrich through whose interest he began a long and productive career. Cawein’s better known works are “Lyrics and Idylls”, “Days and Dreams”, “Undertones”, “The Vale of Temper”, “Kentucky Poems”, “So Many Ways”, ‘The Poet”, “The Fool and the Faeries”, and the “Cup of Comas”. Born of a father and mother who spent much time in the woods near Louisville in search of medicinal herbs, Cawein came in close contact with nature. Many critics have said of Cawein that he never got away from his genuinely natural sources.” 1Clark, Thomas D., “History of Kcntucky”—page 389, Prentice—I‘Iall, InC., 1937. ' Wir trying h: which, t Eve sister or Kentuck occasion chanting the amt have 01) purse; a miserab and so Main 8' Clay’s t Solomor buttons “ ‘E questior being a should l to write reckon.’ “ T with tlr “Well, l “H: “ ‘1 “Y6 <(W George in a ho: ..._____.n...a._. , ms APPENDIX C A HISTORY OF KENTUCKY LITERATURE :1; SINCE 1913* ays By John Wilson Townsend lay Lexington, Kentucky gla Window shopping on Fourth Avenue one night not so long ago, er- trying hard to stay out of trouble, I ran head on into my old obsession nto which, to me alone, has always been magnificent: literary Kentucky. Ever since that day in Lexington thirty-five years ago when my sister came home from Hamilton College with the question: “Has 'k" Kentucky produced a poet?” I have known no peace, as, on that ' occasion, two personalities were born within me. The one eternally :on chanting: “Go ahead, find the answer for that question”; and the other, Of ' the amber light, cautioning: “Don’t do that, make money.” When I to have obeyed the first voice, I have been happy but frightfully poor in .ng purse; and when I have hearkened to the yellow signal, I have been rss. miserable but, sometimes, able to meet my creditors. So it has gone ,ed and so it will continue to go until I take that last but brief ride out .on Main Street and settle myself beneath the long shadows of Henry >an Clay’s towering monument, not far from where Mr. Allen’s King ;an Solomon of Kentucky sleeps, happily clutching the shoddy white “'9 buttons of his blue cotton shirt. 0f “‘Has Kentucky produced a poet?’ eh?” I repeated my sister’s ”1 question to her. “I tell you what I’ll do: I’ll ask Colonel Bill Polk; he, 11d being an Old Union soldier, on Grant’s stait, and a newspaper man, 'Ch should know, I think. For the last forty years he has been threatening ny to write a history of Lexington, too, so that should mean something, I 31y reckon.” ' “‘Has Kentucky produced any poets, eh?” said old Bill Polk, with the gravy stains and tobacco juices on his grease—encrusted vest. “Well, I don’t know, bud, but I’ll find out.” “Has Lexington produced a poet, then?” I tried again. “ ‘Lexington poet,’ huh?” ‘ “Yes.” “Well—now, the blockhouse wasn’t down on Main Street where' George W. Ranck put it—pioneers were too smart to erect a blockhouse in a hollow or at the bottom of a hill, and further, Ranck, or someone, 45 changed the records in the court house—I can show you where he did it—the blockhouse was at the head of South Broadway hill—I—”; and old Bill Polk was off again on his one and only theme. Now, as I come to consider it this evening, perhaps I am just as great a bore about our native letters as Bill was about the blockhouse. If so, I can very fervently hope that I shall not live as long as he did. That will be something for my friends to hang a hope on, will it not? After Polk failed me, I appealed to my professors at old Kentucky University. No, they knew about the New England and Knickerbocker schools; two of them were acquainted with the Hartford wits, and one, believe it or not, had heard of Sidney Lanier. That was encouraging but, as always, when really up against a tough problem, I appealed to Bob Hamilton, assistant at the town’s little public library. “Oh, Bob,” breathless for the moment, “has Kentucky produced any poets?” “Of course. Why?” “Why?” I almost shouted. Who are they?” “What’s it to you? You are going to be a Methodist preacher and there never was one of those men that knew a book from a beefsteak.” “What’d you say?” I asked, in the middle of a delicious dream. “I said: ‘What’s it to you? You are going to be a Methodist preacher.’ ” “Oh, yes, of course. Am I?” “I give up,” Bob snapped, but gently and with profound under— standing, as it turned out. He had a beautiful mind and was a charming fellow, although at times he had a wicked slant on men, especially me, and things. “There’s Madison Cawein and Robert Burns Wilson, Theodore O’Hara and Henry Stanton, and a few others, perhaps. Co to work on them and, when you have read some of their stuff, come back for more. O.K.?” “Oh, yes, O.K. And thanks.” And so since that sweet night standing in front of the old charging desk, long since destroyed, I have followed the gleam of Kentucky letters. And it has nearly always been a very bright gleam, leading beside the still waters and through the green pastures to perfect peace. But so many, many times I have been compelled to cast it aside and do what the world commands, and then the blackness of despair at the inescapable tragedy of life fits itself about my head like a cooper band. °Excerpts from Filson Club Historical Quarterly, Vol. 13, 1939, pages 21-36, John P. Morton and Company, Louisville, Kentucky. 46 5 not rt maga daily. Robe Edwi callet Mags “I’d t the SE really best ] 1 Madc VVhei tion ( put vs to the of Cl celler. Time A be 1111 piece or dc Schoc tain V M Ont. soon 3 he did —;and 1 just as :khouse. . he did. 1 it not? ientucky arbocker 1nd one, )uraging .ppealed roduced :her and efsteak.” ream. fethodist 1 under- 1 was a on men, Robert v others, of their :harging Ientucky leading 3t peace. side and :ir at the er band. :36, John Since 1913 the new school of Kentucky writers has arrived. I can not refer to all of them tonight. I have read all of their books and magazine contributions, and I walk around with them in my head daily. I don’t think any of them has written a more perfect piece than Robert Browning Hamilton’s little poem “Along the Road”, to which Edwin (‘Ned’) Carty Ranck, one of the best of our living writers, called my attention at the time of its appearance in the Century Magazine for February, 1918. “A little masterpiece,” Ned declared. “I’d trade all of my books and plays for its authorship.” It’s author, the same Bob Hamilton whom I mentioned in the beginning and who really answered my question—Has Kentucky produced a poet?—in the best possible manner in “Along the Road”: I walked a mile with Pleasure. She chattered all the way, But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow, And ne’er a word said she; But, oh, the things I learned from her When Sorrow walked with me! The big new name in Kentucky letters is, of course, Miss Elizabeth Madox Roberts. She was born near Perryville, but lives at Springfield. When I first wrote to her for the date of her birth and other informa- tion concerning herself she replied: “My life is my own property. I put whatever of it I desire into my books and the rest is of no interest to the public.” She taught a country school, attended the University of Chicago, and wrote her first book, Under the Tree, a sheaf of ex— cellent poems, not repeated, and then her first and finest novel, The Time of Man. i} a it? Another pair of mountain poets, James Still and Don West, should be mentioned. Still is not a Kentuckian-born, but the birthplace of a piece of literature is more important than the birthplace of its author; or don’t you think so? Still is librarian of the WCTU Settlement School at Hindman. He is the author of an attractive book of moun— tain verses, and contributor of articles and short stories to The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, and The Saturday Evening Post. His stories should soon be collected and brought out in book form. 47 The two Binghams—not related—George, the Mayfield humorist, who died recently, and Barry Bingham, publisher of The Courier- ]ournal and The Loui