Life Lines: A Collection of Inspiring Poetry and Prose
Charlotte, N.C. Printed by the Observer Printing House, (c. 1952). 1st ed. Hardcover. xii, 141p. Blue cloth. dj. 22 cm. Jacket rather worn; foxing on flaps and on the hiden side. Modest cover warping; some staining on bottom portion of covers. . Contents sound with some brown spotting. The Smiths were an African American couple living in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Most of the rhymed poetry is by one or both of the Smiths -- the unsigned Author's Preface is vague as to authorship of the poems. Bill French included this book in his co-compiled bibliography of African American poetry under Ivory's name but we don't know whether that was because his name appeared first on the book or because he knew that the poems were by Ivory rather than Isabelle. Bill was a careful bibliographer so it is surprising that was was not a cross reference under Isabelle or at least an entry for her in the author index if she wrote or co-authored the poems. The prose entries come from a wide variety of sources from an assortment of white and African American authors. Martin Luther King, Jr. had an inscribed copy of this book in his large personal library (See Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Vol. VI page 651). Good / Fair. Item #43927
Price: $225.00