There are those times when an ‘unknown’ poet’s words seem to have more relevance to us when we find out extra little facts about them. It becomes easier to identify with why they wrote what they did or just what secrets are concealed within their poems. It would make more sense when a window to their life is opened up to us a little more information.
This happened to me with the poet Dorothy Quick, whom I had never heard of until recently.
I collect books that interest me and buy them whenever I find them at sensibly reduced prices - yard sales, Goodwill’s and any place else, and then I bring them home and shelve them until such time as I find the time to peruse them. I had started collecting books by or about Mark Twain’s. The other day I was lead to a book that had been collecting dust for years on my shelf. It is entitled, “Mark Twain and Me” by Dorothy Quick.
So far I have found out, Dorothy was eleven years old when she met Twain aboard the S. S. Minnetonka in 1907 and he was seventy-two. This was the beginning of a great friendship between them that would endure until his death some years later. She became a frequent houseguest of Twain’s, both at his Tuxedo Park home in New York city, and at his country home, in Redding, Connecticut. They shared good times, letters and adventures together that I envy.
Seeing Dorothy's keen interest in both billiards playing and writing, Twain undertook to coach her in both. She was made an exclusive member of Twain’s “Author's League”.
She justified Twain’s judgment of her and her writing by writing many collections of bold and lyrical poetry and several successful mystery novels. I, of course, would love to see her poetry posted on Old Poetry as an exception to the rule, (died before 1955) for I feel that anyone that had the opportunity to spend time with Mark Twain, in such a unique way, must have written poetry that would be interesting, to say the least.
"Ever since Dorothy Quick wrote her first verse some of the most distinguished writers and critics in American have sung her praises. These have ranged with astounding diversity from James Branch Cabell through Edward Wagenknecht to Erle Stanley Gardner!"
"Mark Twain's daughter, Clara Clemens Samoussond, says: 'The spiritual quality of Dorothy Quick's poetry, added to the rhythmic grace and imaginative subtleties, proclaim her a true poet. I am sure this is what my father would have said with pride in the fact that he had discovered her.'"
Does anyone have access to any of Dorothy Quick’s poetry that they could share with the rest of us ...?
Joy
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I do!
I am Looking for “Quick” poetry ... poetry by Dorothy Quick
I do!
I am Looking for “Quick” poetry ... poetry by Dorothy Quick
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Oops, it said I was logged in as Yemassee, Keystone is me.
Of course I forgot about the 1955 rule. I have found a couple, but they seem to be under copyright. But we can ask the bosses, see what they say.
Not sure if this is the same Dorothy Quick but she has two here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=EORAnd9i8FYC&pg=PA186&lpg=PA186&dq=Dorothy+Quick&source=web&ots=Xre37wc6Jh&sig=kpgVdlBf1knAjtNAgYfsYZeyaQQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA187,M1
Sorry, just tossing bits and pieces for you, if redundant just ignore or delete the comment:
QUICK, DOROTHY; pseudonym of Margaret Rogers Straub, (1900-1962) -
Just yell and I am glad to help. I'll look, see if I can find any of Quick's poetry. You probably already have looked online but sometimes two heads are, well, you know.
I like finding stuff like that, and like you I go to book sales and yard sales, etc...I have tons of books too, primarily novels and short stories since those are my first love in literature, but I'll be adding more poetry since I've been expanding those horizons on OP.
Here is an idea. Assuming I can find at least one poem to add to the OP database, write a biography of Dorothy Quick, I'd be glad to proofread, help with a little research or whatever for you. It doesn't have to be a long bio, go look at a few on OP. You could also add it to AP...I do that but I hide them for my own private use.
Anyway, off to look for some poems, if you want to write the bio cool, you could send it to me or any mod, and of course you'd get the credit for the write.
Sorry, I blab even more than normal when I comment on books and writers and such.
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I'm so glad that you dropped ...
in and are willing to help with the search. I'm not sure of that pseudonym (Margaret Rogers Strau
because of the dates given. Dorothy was born in 1896 and died in 1962 but it's entirely possible that she fudged her age as women tend to do/. I have a book of her poetry ordered from my local library and it will probably be here next week sometime. So then I will be able to collect more info. I can assure you that books of poetry are the hardest to come by especially the old ones but you find them when you least expect to. I will be glad to write the bio and what about her pic? maybe you could get that going? There are some on-line of her with Mark Twain, but as of yet I didn't see just her.
Thanks again Yem ... as this unravels. jy
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Dates are often misconstrued, at least from my experience in searching for authors and for relatives in genealogy. I'll look a little more, see if I can confirm her name but you'll probably do that when you get her book. I see she also wrote "hair-raising" type stories (for the lack of a better term.) I saw her name (if it is the same lady, listed in several of the old "Weird Tales" magazines.
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