Book Review: Poems: 1947-1954 by Weldon Kees

Poems, 1947-1954
by Weldon Kees (811 K25p)

Weldon Kees is one of Nebraska’s best-known poets, but he is remembered mostly for his disappearance in July of 1955 in San Francisco. His new car was left at the Golden Gate Bridge and his body was never found — one of the great mysteries of that time. Born in Beatrice, Nebraska, Weldon graduated from Beatrice High School and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as well as several other colleges. Poet, artist, film maker, musician and lyricist, Kees was well-known in the literary circles in New York and as an artist with a flair for abstract expressionism. Lincoln City Libraries was gifted with the Kees collection of letters and photographs from his mother, Sarah Kees, in the 1960s. As I have been working on the Kees Project this summer, I have been fascinated by the letters Weldon wrote to his friend Norris Getty, asking for critical advice for his poetry as he prepared it for publication. I decided to check out this collection of Kees’ poetry because it was discussed at some length between Kees and Getty. The first poem I read was “The Hourglass,” one of the finest poems I have ever read. Although not all of the poems in this collection are as well done as this one, they are definitely worth reading. Kees struggled with his poetry, bringing emotion and angst to his writing as he sought just the right words to express his feelings. Many of his poems hint at his depression and thoughts of suicide, while other poems are light or flippant in nature. I recommend this collection to anyone who is interested in the work of Weldon Kees or in poetry by Nebraska poets.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Weldon Kees and the Midcentury Generation: Letters 1935-1955 by Robert Knoll, Selected Short Stories of Weldon Kees by Weldon Kees or The Fall of the Magicians by Weldon Kees.)

 

( Wikipedia entry for Weldon Kees )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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