Elkanah East Taylor Explained

Elkanah East Taylor
Birth Date:	1888
Death Date:	August 7, 1945
Death Place:	Norfolk, VA
Occupation:	Poet
Nationality:	American
Alma Mater:	Sweet Briar College, William and Mary College
Spouse:	Edwin Jordan Taylor
Signature:	Elkanah East Taylor Signature.png

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. She was married to fellow William and Mary graduate Edwin Jordan Taylor of Hampton, VA,^[5] and they had a son, William East Taylor. 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. 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. 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

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)
• A Spray of Mistletoe (1931)^[13]

Other contributions

• Editor of Will-o’-the-Wisp (1925-1945)
• 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
• 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

Notes and References

1. News: ELKANAH EAST TAYLOR; Poet, Editor of Wiif-o'-the-Wisp Dies in Norfolk at 57. 2017-06-15. en.
2. News: 6 Jan 1931, Page 9 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
3. Web site: Directory of Alumnae, 1960 - Sweet Briar College -- Alumnae -- Directories - Compilation of Published Sources - MyHeritage. www.myheritage.com. 2017-06-15.
4. Book: Sweet Briar College. Rainville. Lynn. Johnston. Lisa N.. 2015-12-07. Arcadia Publishing. 9781439654163. en.
5. News: 29 Jul 1919, Page 6 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
6. News: 2 Apr 1931, Page 14 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
7. News: 8 Aug 1945, Page 10 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
8. News: 23 May 1926, Page 36 - The Courier-Journal at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
9. News: 27 Jun 1926, Page 29 - The Courier-Journal at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
10. News: 9 Aug 1945, Page 6 - Kingsport News at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
11. Web site: Elkanah East Taylor. www.historicforrest.com. 2017-06-15.
12. Book: Catalog of Copyright Entries. New Series: 1927. elkanah taylor candles on the sill.. 1928. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. en.
13. Book: Taylor, Elkanah East. A spray of mistletoe. 1931. publisher not identified. Place of publication not identified. 5859980. English.
14. Web site: The World News 6 February 1922 — Virginia Chronicle. virginiachronicle.com. 2017-06-15.
15. News: 30 Jan 1925, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
16. News: 10 Jan 1926, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
17. News: 28 Feb 1928, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
18. News: 6 Jul 1929, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
19. News: 15 Apr 1931, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
20. News: 15 Apr 1933, Page 3 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
21. News: 31 Aug 1940, Page 17 - Daily Press at Newspapers.com. Newspapers.com. 2017-06-15. en.
22. Web site: Full text of "Supplement to Granger's index (1919-1928).". archive.org. en. 2017-06-15.
23. Web site: Full text of "Overland monthly and out west magazine". archive.org. en. 2017-06-15.
24. Web site: Full text of "Unison,: a selection of poems from Choir practice". archive.org. en. 2017-06-15.
25. Book: Prince, Clara Catherine. American Poetry Magazine. 1919. Clara C. Prince. en.