INDIANA AUTHORS
and
THEIR BOOKS
1917-1966
INDIANA
AUTHORS
and their
BOOKS
1917-1966
A continuation of Indiana Authors and Their Books,
1816-1916, and containing additional names from the earlier period.
Compiled by Donald E. Thompson
Librarian, Wabash College
Wabash College Crawfordsville, Indiana 1974
PRINTED BY
R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
THE LAKESIDE PRESS
CRAWFORDSVILLE,
INDIANA
Wabash College wishes to acknowledge with thanks the contributions of
Lilly
Endowment, Inc.
Roger D. Branigin
Parrish Fuller
Richard E. Banta,
in memory of Lee McCanliss
Cecil K. Byrd
who made possible the publication of
this work.
Editorial Committee
- DONALD E. THOMPSON, Chairman
- RICHARD E. BANTA
- ROGER D. BRANIGIN
- CECIL K. BYRD
- HAZEL HOPPER
- GAYLE THORNBROUGH
Introduction
This work is intended to continue the study begun in Indiana Authors and Their Books, 18161916. It will cover another half century of notably prolific Indiana writers.
- Donald E. Thompson, Chairman
- Roger D. Branigin
- Hazel Hopper
- Gayle Thornbrough
- Cecil K. Byrd
- Richard E. Banta
Meredith Nicholson had commented on the extremely large literary production by citizens of the state in his book The Hoosiers, published in 1900, and the phenomenon had been noted by writers in newspapers before and after that date. But in 1904 or 1905 a professor of English literature at Wabash College, a man of Eastern background (as professors of English literature tended to be in that day) issued a statement to one of his classes. "If," he said, indicating some doubt by his inflection, "there actually was such an excessive tendency on the part of Indiana residents to commit their thoughts to the printed page, it was probably a result of the meeting on Indiana soil in the eighteenth century of the widely disparate French, English and Indian cultures." This reasoning has been clearly demonstrated to be erroneous--nevertheless the professor's statement served a purpose. Lee McCanliss, one of his students, pondering it forty years later, became so intrigued with the theory that he proposed and financed the original 1816-1916 study. In the original work only one writer of French connection appeared and she had only married the descendant of an early French family: there was only one Indian, Chief Simon Pokagon, and though unquestionably Indian, the Chief was less than an inspired writer.
page: [x][View Page [x]]Probably the best of the current Indiana writers of fiction are producing books which sell in the range of those of Tarkington, Nicholson, McCutcheon, Phillips and their contemporaries. If no single novel has yet quite received the enthusiasm, even worship, that was the share of General Wallace's Ben Hur, we must remember that this opus has unusual advantages. As Abe Erlanger is reported to have said while producing the elaborate stage version, "I'm not worried, it can't fail; no play whose cast includes both Jesus Christ and a live horse race could be anything but a success."
Modern Hoosier novelists have not yet produced characters who achieve the universal recognition that fell to the share of either Penrod Schofield or those prizes of sugared juvenile female rectitude, The Girl of the Limberlost and The Little Colonel. No modern Hoosier has as yet achieved the geopolitical distinction of inventing a complete country that can match Graustark in fame. In these matters current writers fa'll short of their predecessors: in winning top-flight literary prizes, making book-club selections, and keeping their names consistently on the best-seller lists they more than hold their own, not only against the Indiana field of a half century ago but in competition with writers of the outlands as represented by the other states, regardless of size of population. So, this volume will demonstrate that the Indiana literary mill continues to grind away. And its product is only devoted to producing fiction in a small percent. A scanning of the titles listed here wi'll show numbers of works devoted to history, biography, economics, poetry, the arts, sciences (and not all to those ordinary old sciences described as "physical" and "natural," not by any means: it was a Hoosier professor who, in effect, discovered sex a few decades ago and rocked some segments of the reading public with his works Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female). There is a considerable devotion to religion also and in fact to every other conceivable category of subject matter including, no native will be in the least surprised to learn, moral rectitude, in which as a people we Hoosiers undoubtedly excel!
But why continue to boast of our achievements when they are all described hereafter and may more modestly speak for themselves? We give you herewith Indiana Authors and Their Books, 1917-1966.
R. E. BANTA, FOR THE COMMITTEE
page: [xi][View Page [xi]]Preface
It has long been said that Indiana has produced more than its share of people who liked to write. Mention of Indiana authors has been made in many publications. In Indiana Authors and Their Books, 1816-1916, Richard E. Banta indicates that William T. Coggeshall quoted about thirty Indiana writers of verse in his Poets and Poetry of the West (1860). Ora Cole Briscoe lists many people in Indiana Fiction Before 1870. In 1934 Edward Weeks compiled a list of American books that have had the largest sales since 1875; five of the titles were written by Indianans. A master's thesis at the University of Notre Dame entitled A Bibliographical and Biographical Dictionary of Indiana Authors, written by Thomas J. Barry just after World War II, contains hundreds of names. Banta's book lists about 950 Hoosier authors and this volume supplements it with 2,751 authors for a later period.
The numbers mean very little because there is nothing with which to compare them, but there is another measure that tells something about Hoosier writing. Banta describes a study made by John Moriarty based on the best-seller lists in Alice Payne Hackett's Fifty Years of Best Sellers, 1895-1945. Moriarty noted the ten best-selling novels of each year, determined each author's native state, and assigned a point system to the books. When the points were totaled New York state was first (218); Indiana, second (213); and Pennsylvania, third (125). In order to see what had happened in more recent years, the study was extended by using Hackett's Seventy Years of Best Sellers, 1895-1965, and following the same point system used by Moriarty. In the fiction category, New York state was first (460); Indiana, second (288); and Pennsylvania, third (212). For nonfiction Indiana was in eighth place, but when fiction and nonfiction were combined Indiana remained in second place.
In the introduction to his book, Banta comments on the literary output of Indiana and says "later there must be supplements and additions, and even then the story will be far from told." The present volume is the result of that statement. After the editor made a number of inquiries about the advisability of compiling a fifty-year supplement and received positive responses, work began in the spring of 1970. Funding for collection of the data has been provided through the Indiana State Library by a grant from Title III of the Library Services and Construction Act from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Publication and distribution costs have been financed by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., and personal gifts from Roger D. Branigin, Richard E. Banta, Parrish Fuller, and Cecil K. Byrd.
In general, the criteria for this volume are the same as those for the original page: [xii][View Page [xii]] volume. To be included an author must be born in Indiana or have lived half of his or her life in the state. Since this is a fifty-year supplement, the authors must have had at least one book published by 1966. Authors from the earlier period are included if they were not located for the original volume. Types of publications excluded in addition to those mentioned in the introduction are pamphlets of less than twenty-four pages, duplicated works, genealogies, unpublished manuscripts, laboratory manuals, problem books, spellers, and books that have been compiled or edited unless they contained extensive notes or original writing by the compiler or editor. Because of limited time, very few books have been examined; therefore, some titles in the excluded categories, particularly textbooks, may be listed by mistake.
Since it is the purpose of this volume largely to identify writers, only brief biographies have been written. Biographies have been obtained from biographical dictionaries and individuals, but the main source of information has been the resources of the Indiana Division of the Indiana State Library. Since the biographies have been written by several people, a certain uniformity has been adopted with regard to details but no attempt has been made to greatly alter the individual writer's style. Positions listed are those last known as taken from the sources of information used for the biography. Bibliographies have been compiled from The National Union Catalog (Library of Congress), the card catalog of the Indiana State Library, and the source of the biography. The National Union Catalog has been checked through 1970 and books published after that year have been included only if they were found in other sources. If some titles are missing, it is because (i) they were not included in the sources already mentioned, (2) error by the compiler, or (3) they are part of the excluded categories previously indicated. For those books listed, a reasonable attempt has been made to procure the place and date of publication. Birth and death dates of authors have been located whenever possible.
The names of authors have been obtained in several ways. In the spring of 1970 a letter was sent to all academic, public, and special libraries in Indiana and to all local historical societies in the state. At the same time a news article was sent to all newspapers in the state and notes were placed in Focus ON INDIANA LIBRARIES, INDIANA HISTORY BULLETIN, LIBRARY OCCURRENT, and NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW. A follow-up story was sent to the same newspapers about two years later. The lists of Indiana authors in all issues of LIBRARY OCCURRENT and the complete file of names used by Arthur Shumaker for A History of Indiana Literature have been checked. In the 1930s the Indiana Historical Society collected a register of names of Indiana authors from the publications that are listed on p. xiv. Biographical sources on the same page have been checked for Indiana authors during the present project.
There is still much that can be done in recording the writing of Hoosiers and the literature of Indiana. Other supplements may follow this volume; hundreds of additional names have already been collected for this purpose. Another project that should be considered is gathering information about people who may not have written books but who have written poetry, drama, short stories, and similar material that has been published in periodicals, newspapers, and as parts of books.
There are many people to thank for helping with this volume but space permits page: [xiii][View Page [xiii]] naming only a few. The editorial committee, listed on a separate page, determined the overall policies. Librarians, newspapers, and many individuals around Indiana and elsewhere have supplied names and biographical information. Richard E. Banta has been a capable adviser on all phases of the project. Hazel Hopper read the preliminary manuscript and helped locate difficult information. Ida Mae Miller, Martin F. Barlag, and Mrs. Charles O. Yount have supplied many names and biographies. Dr. Thaddeus Seymour, president of Wabash College, has made helpful suggestions and has been generous in granting time to the editor for compiling the volume. The staff of the Indiana Division of the Indiana State Library has supplied much material and has answered many questions. In the early stages, Mrs. Paul Husting, Mr. and Mrs. William Kovacs, and Mrs. Donald Herring helped collect information and did considerable writing. During the last two years, Marilyn Gannon has written biographies and proofread the manuscript, galleys, and pages. I offer special thanks to my wife for her patience and understanding during the four years needed to complete the work.
Errors that may occur are the final responsibility of the editor and it is hoped that they will be reported. It is requested that names of authors not included in this volume and its predecessor and names that should be included in future volumes be sent to the undersigned.
DONALD E. THOMPSON
page: [xiv][View Page [xiv]]BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES CHECKED FOR NAMES OF INDIANA AUTHORS
INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROJECT
- Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography. 1887-89. 6 vols.
- Beeson, Rebecca K. Literary Indiana. 1925.
- Biographical Cyclopaedia of American Women. 1924. 3 vols.
- Century Biographical Encyclopedia. 1926. 3 vols.
- Coggeshall, William T. Poets and Poetry of the West. 1860.
- Dictionary of American Biography. 1928-37. 20 vols.
- Encyclopedia Americana. 1938. 30 vols.
- Griswold, Rufus W. Poets and Poetry of America. 16th ed. 1873.
- Hamilton, Edward J. Indiana Writers of Poems and Prose. 1902.
- Herringshaw, Thomas W. Local and National Poets of America. 1890.
- Howes, Durward. American Women. 1937. 2 vols.
- The International Who's Who. 7th ed. 1942.
- Johnson, Merle. American First Editions. 3rd ed. 1936.
- Kunitz, Stanley J. and Howard Haycraft. American Authors, 1600-1900. 1938.
- Kunitz, Stanley J. Authors Today and Yesterday. 1933.
- Kunitz, Stanley J. and Howard Haycraft. The Junior Book of Authors. 1934.
- Kunitz, Stanley J. Living Authors. 1931.
- Livingston, Rosamond, ed. Who's Who in Poetry in the United States. n.d.
- Parker, Benjamin S. and E. B. Heiney. Poets and Poetry of Indiana… 1800-1900. 1900.
- Pattee, Fred L. The New American Literature, 1890-1930. 1930.
- Rusk, Ralph L. Literature of the Middle Western Frontier. 1925.
- Stedman, Edmund C. Poets of America. 1885.
- Venable, William H. Beginnings of Literary Culture in the Ohio Falley. 1891.
- Walker, Charles M. "Concerning the Hoosier." INDIANA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, 1923 (March 1913).
- Who's Who Among North American Authors. 1921-35- 7 vols.
- Who's Who in America. 1900-38. 20 vols.
- Who's Who in American Education. Vol. III. 1932.
- Who's Who in Journalism. 1928.
- Woman's Who's Who of America. 1915.
PRESENT PROJECT
- American Men and Women of Science. Ilth ed. 1971-73. 7 vols.
- Barnhart, John D. and Donald F. Carmony. Indiana, from Frontier to Industrial Commonwealth. 1954. 4 vols.
- Boruff, Blanche. Women of Indiana. 1941.
- Burke, W. J. and Will D. Howe. American Authors and Books, 1640-1940. Rev. ed. 1962.
- Contemporary Authors. Vols. 1-40.
- Directory of American Scholars. 5th ed. 1969. 4 vols.
- Hawkins, Hubert and Robert McClarren. Indiana Lives. 1967.
- Indiana Editors' Association. Indiana Today. 1942.
- The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vols. 1-53 and Current Vols. A-L.
- Roll, Charles M. Indiana, One Hundred and Fifty Years of American Development. 1931. 5 vols.
- Wallace, William S. A Dictionary of North American Authors Deceased Before 1950. 1968.
- Who Was Who in America. 1943-68. 5 vols.
- Who's Who in America, 1970-71.
- Who's Who in American Education, 1967-68.
- Who's Who in the Midwest, 1969-70.
Pseudonyms and Writing Names | Biographical Entry |
Adams, Lowell | Joseph, James Herz |
Allison, Rand | McCormick, Wilfred |
Altisonant, Lorenzo | Hoshour, Samuel Klinefetter |
Ander, Lee | Hershberger, Leander Leonard |
Archer, Frank | O'Connor, Richard |
Arnold, Joseph H | Hayes, Joseph Arnold |
Arthur, Joseph | Smith, Arthur Hill |
Ave | Poggel, Mary |
Bailey, Hilea | Silvers, Ruth Lenore Marting |
Benedict, Margaret | Fisher, Margaret Trusler |
Benjamin, Claude | Pohlman, Max Edward |
Big Rich | Richardson, Emory Aaron |
Boyd, Woodward | Shane, Margaret Smith |
Brandt, Tom | Dewey, Thomas Blanchard |
Brooks, Jonathan | Mellett, John Calvin |
Chignon, Niles | Lingeman, Richard Roberts |
Childe Harold | Field, Edward Salisbury |
Christian, George | Grove, Helen Harriet |
Cleveland, John | McElfresh, Elizabeth Adeline |
Conrad, Kenneth | Lottich, Kenneth Verne |
Coxie | Baumgardtner, Claude Chalmers |
Criswell, Jeron | King, Charles Criswell |
Davis, Adelle | Sieglinger, Adelle Davis |
Davis, Maxine | McHugh, Maxine Davis |
Day, Beth Feagles | Padva, Beth Feagles |
DeAngelis, Nancy | Angelo, Nancy Carolyn Harrison |
Dunlap, Jane | Sieglinger, Adelle Davis |
Dunlap, Lon | McCormick, Wilfred |
Edwards, Max | Pohlman, Max Edward |
Emerson, Alice B | Creager, Eunice Whayne |
Everett, Wade | Cook, William Everett |
Fairfax, Beatrice | Wolfe, Lilian Lauferty |
Fox, Col. Victor J | Winston, Robert Alexander |
Garrett, Myron H | August, Garry J. |
Garrison, Anet | Woodard, Tina Garrison |
Genêt | Flanner, Janet |
George, Marion E | Pohlman, Max Edward |
Gibson, Katharine | Wicks, Katharine Gibson |
Gregory, Kate | Carrell, Lenore Kathrin Cary Gregory |
Hall, Jesse | Boesen, Victor |
Harald, Eric | Boesen, Victor |
Haynes, Linda | Swinford, Betty June Wells |
Pseudonyms and Writing Names | Biographical Entry |
Hirsch, William Randolph | Lingeman, Richard Roberts |
Hoosier Hank | Miner, Virginia Scott |
Hoosier Hannah | Miner, Virginia Scott |
Hoosier Schoolmaster | Hand, John Raymond |
Hope, Laura Lee | Creager, Eunice Whayne |
Hume, Mickey | Bevard, Camille |
James, Westbrook | Weygand, James Lamar |
Kay, Phoebe | Miner, Virginia Scott |
Keene, James | Cook, William Everett |
Kiplinger, David | Miner, Virginia Scott |
Kitt, Tamara | de Regniers, Beatrice Schenk |
Land, Jane and Ross | Borland, Kathryn Kilby and Speicher, Helen Ross Smith |
Lawson, Patrick | Eby, Lois |
McGuire, Edna | Boyd, Edna McGuire |
Miller, Laura Owen | Bamberger, Laura Owen Miller |
Mrs. R. F. D | Peden, Rachel Mason |
Naber, Charles R | Hall, Frank Richards |
Norris, Harris | Swindell, Minnie Harris |
O'Tyne, Nicholas | Foster, Leroy A. |
Paddie Kak | Kirtland, Ethel Schwartz |
Pearce, Frank | Cook, William Everett |
Porter, Kathryn | Swinford, Betty June Wells |
Raw, Kathryn | Nyers, Amelia Kathryn |
Rhoades, Jonathan | Olsen, John Edward |
Riordan, Dan | Cook, William Everett |
Scott, Jane | McElfresh, Elizabeth Adeline |
Start, Tramp | Wilson, William Carl |
Swain, Miriam | Mason, Miriam Evangeline |
Thatcher, Amelia | Miner, Virginia Scott |
Tucker, Caroline | Nolan, Jeannette Covert |
Uncle Ray | Coffman, Ramon Peyton |
Wainer, Cord | Dewey, Thomas Blanchard |
Waller, Virginia Harmon | Sefrit, Sallie Mulholland |
Walton, Evangeline | Ensley, Wilma Evangeline |
Ward, Mary Jane | Quayle, Mary Jane |
Warren, Dave | Wiersbe, Warren Wendell |
Wason, Elizabeth | Hall, Elizabeth Wason |
Wayland, Patrick | O'Connor, Richard |
Wesley, Elizabeth | McElfresh, Elizabeth Adeline |
White, Dale | Place, Marian Templeton |
Whitinger, R. D | Place, Marian Templeton |
Wilcox, Hannah Simms | Miner, Virginia Scott |