Bert Leston Taylor - Posthumous Publications

Posthumous Publications

The Cliff Dwellers; In Memory of Bert Leston Taylor (B.L.T.); published by W.M. Hill under the auspices of the Cliff Dwellers and the Chicago Tribune (1922) – A program and records of Taylor’s memorial service held in the Blackstone Theater on March 27, 1921.

A Penny Whistle; Together With the Babette Ballads; published by Alfred A. Knopf (1921) – This Knopf publication represents the first posthumous title, which had a second printing in 1927. This collection of verse originally published in the “Line” over an eight-year period is considered to represent Taylor’s best. The book also contains fifteen poems written for his daughter, Babette (Barbara Whitney Dunn) Taylor. Forward by Franklin Pierce Adams. Taylor was very much fond of William Butler Yeats, and six poems are in this volume are dedicated to Yeats and Ireland. Taylor gives also gives praise to George Bernard Shaw and his play, Major Barbara, and to Rudyard Kipling and Alfred Noyes in the poem, “The Dardanelles.” The Babette Ballads were written after William S. Gilbert’s book of humorous poetry, The Bab Ballads. Among the Babette Ballads, the poem “The Horoscope” references “Zariel, the Astrologer,” who represents Taylor’s long-time friend and collaborator, Walter Lewis. Taylor had the manuscript, book title, and order of poems arranged for publication prior to his death.

The So-Called Human Race; published by Alfred A. Knopf (1922) – The second posthumous collection contains essays, light verse, and miscellaneous material originally published in the “Line.” Henry B. Fuller, Chicago novelist, critic, and close friend of Taylor, wrote the introduction and edited the material in a similar pattern that Taylor would have used when he conducted the “Line.” The book is blended with witty limericks, whimsical fables, politically charged satirical quips, and absurd clippings from rural newspapers around the country.

The Well in the Wood; published by Alfred A. Knopf (1922) – Children’s book. Originally published in 1904 by The Bobbs-Merrill Co., this 1922 publication represents the third posthumous publication in the series of Taylor’s work by Knopf. Illustrations by Fanny Y. Cory, who illustrated many books including the 1902 publication of Lewis Carroll’s, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as well as several books by Frank L. Baum, author of The Wizard of OZ. Taylor’s wife, Emma Bonner Taylor, wrote the musical pieces that appear throughout the book. Compared to Lewis Carroll’s, Alice in Wonderland, Taylor’s The Well in the Wood was hailed a children’s classic at its second, Knopf printing. The title comes from the old adage, “ truth lies at the bottom of a well.” Tiffany Blake commented that Taylor used the same genius in writing this whimsical children story as displayed in making the “Line” different than any other newspaper column in history. Taylor wrote the book for his daughter, Alva, who was seven at the time – she undoubtedly was the first person to give the manuscript a nod for publication.

A Line o’ Gowf or Two; published by Alfred A. Knopf (1923) – The third posthumous collection contains verse and humorous essays on golf. Introduction by Charles “Chick” Evens Jr., who was a leading amateur golfer and won the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur in a single year. Evans was also a golfing friend of Taylor’s. Taylor loved golf and probably enjoyed writing about it as much as he loved playing the game. It was his most cherished hobby throughout the last years of his life, although he did not play competitively as demonstrated by the fact that he never kept score. He said that he played golf not because he liked it, but that it kept him young, and he needed to stay young in order to keep the “youthfulness” in his writing. While the book is whimsical, it also offers practical advice on how to play the game. For example, his sage advice to “look at the hole and not the ball when putting” gained a great deal of attention in the golfing community and it the current advice used today. Excerpts from his book appeared in such magazines as Golf Illustrated and Golfers Magazine. The collection was edited by his wife, Emma Taylor.

The East Window, and The Car Window; published by Alfred A. Knopf (1924) – The fifth volume of posthumous work published by Knopf is a collection of essays that originally appeared in the middle portion (about two-thirds down) of the “Line.” Introduction by Henry Blake Fuller, and forward by James Rowland Angell, former president of Yale. Illustrations by C.B. Falls (Charles Buckles). “The East Window” section of the book is a collection of short, meditative essays on music, painting, literature, nature, travel, domestic life as well as various whimsical subjects., including clouds, trilliums, books, expeditions into the woods, stars, and poetry. He touched upon many subjects: the philosophies of Hardy, Thoreau, and Yeats; of Orion hanging low in the west; of saxifrage, anemone and trillium; and of Brahms, Mansfield Park, election night, good furniture, and the trivialities of existence. “The Car Window” section is a series describing Taylor’s trip through the West and Canada on his way to San Diego in 1919 where he worked briefly for The Union. He wrote the essays in the course of two years facing Lake Michigan from the east window of his Glencoe estate. Here is an excerpt from the book reflecting Taylor’s thoughts on poetry: “Much of the poetry I like classifies simply as music; it is not to be turned inside out and scrutinized for a meaning. If it produces an effect similar to that which a page of beautiful music produces, it has justified itself, and there is nothing to argue about.”

Motley Measures; published by Alfred A. Knopf (1927) – Originally publish in 1913 by Laurentian Publishers, who were a group of publishers that wanted to publish books by distinctive Chicago authors. Their first title was, The Beginning of Grand Opera in Chicago, by music critic, Karleton Hackett. The bulk of the verses in this collection first appeared in the Line. Forward by Ring W. Lardner, the American sports columnist and short story writer. Described as a book of light verse commenting upon human follies, frailties, and foibles, but with an unfailing sympathy and greathearted tolerance – it ranges from nonsense verse of Edward Lear to the elegance of Frederick Locker-Lampson and the Fragonard-like magic of Austin Dobson. Taylor’s light verse covers a multitude of whimsies, parodies, satires, and lampoons. Some of the poems are topical and satirical, but there are also a few nature poems about the woods and waters that appealed to Taylor.