Evening star., 1942-06-19
Letters to the Editor
Son Discusses Literary Remains
OF Distinguished Poet Father.

Son discusses Literary kemAlnS
OF Distinguished Poet Father. E.
To the Editor of The Star:
From all quarters of the Nation comes
evidence of the rising tide of interest in
the life and works Of my late father, the
poet Edwin Markham. The current ex-
hibit of Markhamiana in the Library Of
Congress has caused widespread discus
sion. Rumor has been busy concerning
q much misunderstood subject, namely,
the MY Biography" to which my father
alluded a thousand times. This was the
topic OF one of fathers well-used jokes.
In his lectures he seldom failed to make
iesting allusion to an incident-any in
cident-as suitable or otherwise for inclu-
sion in this biography-t Since his
death, many statements concerning the
biography have come to my attention: in
sum. they reveal complete misapprehen-
sion Of the subject. am writing to you
to bring light where shadow seems to
exist. I should like to make clear
four points:
First, there is the truly bewildering
assertion broadcast, one knows not
whence or why. that the poet appointed
this or that person to be his "onciap'
biographer This belief Is iatly contrary
to fact. The biography already in print
contains in holograph facsimile friend
ly foreword written and signed by my
father. At least one person now delving
his way through Markhamiana fire.
quently met father and received help
from him. Moreover, father made free
dispenSation to all Of the privilege of
writing his biography. This have good
reason to know by the number of letters
have received from persons In various
parts of the country who have written
to me stating their claim and asking for
help. Father in expansive mood often
said that he would like to have as many
people as possible write of his career,
and his words were, The more, the
merrier."
Second, submit succinct report Of
work in progress. Besides the already
published volume, there lies in manu-
script a work by an early Pacific Coast
colleague and enthusiastic admirer of
the poet. Two other biographers. in
friendly competition, are engaged on
books based On scholarly principles, and
know of at least two other persons
attempting the biographical task from
what I suppose may be called the "ap-
preciative'' point of view. In addition.
two essays have been undertaken, one
on the poets relation to Ambrose Bierce
as revealed in letters from Bierce, the
other on the peculiar problem Of the
text of "The Man With the Hoe" And,
as limited above, there are others biding
their time.
Third, as to the magnitude of the task
involved in presenting full-bodied study
of the poet. Few know that, besides coll
lections in various places from coast to
coast, the papers left by my father
amount to, conservatively, half ton.
In addition to the customary perusal Of
documents and papers, there is the task
of retracing the long 45-year zigzag trail
of my fathers schooling and teaching
all, of course, on the coast and in the
valleys and mountains of California. 1t
is now certain that during his later years
my father withheld facts of his early
career-for what, no doubt, seemed to
him suficient cause. Within the IL
month past the exploration of his youth
ful haunts has uncovered startling data.
Moreover, along these devious trails,
from the '70s on, lie the hidden clues
to the poets development as q mystic
and q social thinker.
Fourth-and this perhaps should be