Elkanah East Taylor
American poet
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Elkanah East Taylor (1888 - August 7, 1945) was an American poet and founder of the Will-o'-the-Wisp poetry magazine.[1]
Elkanah East Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1888 |
| Died | August 7, 1945 (aged 56–57) Norfolk, VA |
| Education | Sweet Briar College, William and Mary College |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Spouse | Edwin Jordan Taylor |
| Signature | |
 | |
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 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
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]