American poet
Elkanah East Taylor (1888 - August 7, 1945) was an American poet and founder of the Will-o'-the-Wisp poetry magazine.[1]
Life
Elkanah East was born in Virginia in 1888, and as a child she contributed poetry and stories to magazines. She attended Maury High School[2] and in 1906 entered Sweet Briar College for women[3] as part of the first freshman class.[4] She graduated from Sweet Briar and continued her studies at the College of William and Mary where she graduated in 1919.[2] She was married to fellow William and Mary graduate[2] Edwin Jordan Taylor of Hampton, VA,[5] and they had a son, William East Taylor.[2] Elkanah East Taylor lived in Driver, Nansemond County, Virginia[6] for 30 years.[7]
Elkanah East Taylor was a member of many poetry organizations, and in 1925 she founded the Will-o’-the-Wisp magazine of verse.[1] In 1926, The Editor of the Literary Lantern said that the Will-o’-the-Wisp might shortly be one of the literary journals that “died to make verse free.”[8] Taylor responded directly with; “When earth’s last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried ‘Willo’-the-Wisp’ Will still be in existence.”[9] She worked as editor of the magazine for 20 years until her death.
Elkanah East Taylor died a widow in Norfolk, VA at the age of 57 on August 7, 1945.[7] Taylor is buried at the Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, VA.[10][11]
Organizations
- State chairman of poetry for Virginia Federation of Women’s Clubs
- Member of Poetry Society of America
- Member of National League of American Pen-Women
- Member of Poetry Society of Virginia
- Member of American Literary Association
- Member of Norfolk Society of Arts
- Member of the Order of the Bookfellows
- Member of the Empire Poetry League of London
- Honorary Member of Alabama State Poetry Society
- Honorary Member of Springhill College Poetry Society[1][2]
Works
Books of poetry
- Whisperings and Other Poems (1919)
- Candles on the Sill (1927) published by James T White and Co[12]
- Dust and Flame (1923)
- Pen-Points (1928)[2]
- A Spray of Mistletoe (1931)[13]
Other contributions
- Editor of Will-o’-the-Wisp (1925-1945)[1]
- The World News, Roanoke, VA (1922)[14]
- Daily Press, Newport News, VA (1925,[15] 1926,[16] 1928,[17] 1929,[18] 1931,[19] 1933,[20] 1940[21])
- Anthology of Magazine Verse (1925, 1926)[22]
- One for Posterity, Henry Harrison, An Anthology Comprising What in the Opinion of Each of the 145 Contributors is His Best Poem (1929)[23]
- In the Light of Day Anthology, New York[18]
- Unison: A Selection of Poems from Choir Practice, ed. Ellen M. Carroll (1930)[24]
- As The Poet Says, Benjamin Musser (1931), Prose anthology[25]
- Contemporary Verse, Poetry Review (London), Muse and Mirror, Interludes, American Poetry Magazine, Stardust, Poetry of Today[2]
References
- ^ a b c d "ELKANAH EAST TAYLOR; Poet, Editor of Wiif-o'-the-Wisp Dies in Norfolk at 57". Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g "6 Jan 1931, Page 9 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "Directory of Alumnae, 1960 - Sweet Briar College -- Alumnae -- Directories - Compilation of Published Sources - MyHeritage". www.myheritage.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ Rainville, Lynn; Johnston, Lisa N. (2015-12-07). Sweet Briar College. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439654163.
- ^ "29 Jul 1919, Page 6 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "2 Apr 1931, Page 14 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ a b "8 Aug 1945, Page 10 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "23 May 1926, Page 36 - The Courier-Journal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "27 Jun 1926, Page 29 - The Courier-Journal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "9 Aug 1945, Page 6 - Kingsport News at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "Elkanah East Taylor". www.historicforrest.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries. New Series: 1927. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 1928.
elkanah taylor candles on the sill.
- ^ Taylor, Elkanah East (1931). A spray of mistletoe. Place of publication not identified: publisher not identified. OCLC 5859980.
- ^ "The World News 6 February 1922 — Virginia Chronicle". virginiachronicle.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "30 Jan 1925, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "10 Jan 1926, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "28 Feb 1928, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ a b "6 Jul 1929, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "15 Apr 1931, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "15 Apr 1933, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "31 Aug 1940, Page 17 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "Full text of "Supplement to Granger's index (1919-1928)."". archive.org. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "Full text of "Overland monthly and out west magazine"". archive.org. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ "Full text of "Unison,: a selection of poems from Choir practice"". archive.org. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ Prince, Clara Catherine (1919). American Poetry Magazine. Clara C. Prince.
