A DIVERSION…….WITH A STORY! by Patricia Smith

Surprises are always very welcome in my world! As I was looking at my email yesterday evening I noticed a post from David Lowenherz. David Lowenherz is one of the most notable autograph collectors in the world. His office is in midtown in New York City, very close to where I stay on my visits to the City.

A couple of years ago or so, I gathered all the autographs of famous people that I had collected over my lifetime and decided that I would try and see if they were of interest to anyone and try to sell them. I went online and looked for names of businesses or individuals that might be interested in helping me and I ran across the name of Lion Heart Autographs located in New York City.

I called David Lowenherz, the President and CEO (and owner) of Lion Heart Autographs and told him what I had and said that I would bring them to NYC if we could meet. He agreed. We met at his office and arranged some potential/possible sales of some of my autographs. He does not deal in “movie star” autographs but he was interested in some of my presidential autographs and a few others.

I enjoyed my visit to his office, it was two or three rooms with very high ceilings, on the third or fourth floor of a building on East 38th Street – complete with a doorman! The room were full of signed books, music, letters, photographs, art and lithographs that were among his collections that were being offered for sale. I was fascinated! We talked for about an hour about all kinds of things and I left knowing I made the right decision about a company I could trust with my autographs. It was a success!

I have not heard from David for awhile, really there would have been no reason to have “kept in touch”, but yesterday I received an email from him. I opened the email and it was Part 23 of Keeping Calm and Carrying On, The Corona Chronicles and was a post he made from his covid-19 retreat in Pennsylvania,

The story he wrote was about his discovery, in high school, of a little known poet named Elinor Wiley and his quest to collect signed copies of her works for his own collection. I’m fairly certain on that spring day we met in his office that we did not talk about Elinor Wiley but his email struck a cord with me because in high school I too discovered Elinor Wiley in and liked her poetry very much. So last evening I read more Elinor Wiley poems and was facinated all over again.

I’m going to share one with you, quite appropriate for those experiencing this snowy cold weather in much of the United States. Others may just imagine in your minds the scenario!

VELVET SHOES

“Let us walk in white snow

In a soundless space;

With footsteps quiet and slow,

At a tranquil pace,

Under veils of white lace.

I shall go shod in silk,

And you in wool,

White as a white cow’s milk,

More beautiful

Than the breast of a gull.

We shall walk through the still town

In a windless peace;

We shall step upon white down

Upon silver fleece,

Upon Softer than these.

We shall walk in velvet shoes;

Wherever we go

Silence will fall like dews

On white silence below.

We shall walk in the snow.”

If you enjoyed the poem, I encourage you to go and read more of her poetry. To read the story of Elinor Wiley’s life go to Wikipedia – a VERY interesting read! Thank you, once again, David Lowenherz!