A GREAT AND GLORIOUS ROMANCE: The Story of Carl Sandburg and Lilian Steichen

by Helga Sandburg ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 6, 1977

Just in time for the Sandburg centenary comes daughter Helga's exuberant, richly detailed rendering of her parents' uncommon romance, drawn from their letters, his poems, and their friendships with celebrated background figures, especially Edward Steichen, Lilian's brother. Carl, an enthusiastic stereopticon salesman, had years of odd jobs, literary optimism, and the Social Democrat lecture circuit. Lilian, an exceptional student and energetic teacher, was equally committed to Party principles. Their letters, after a brief encounter, begin ""Comrade"" and dwell on noble issues; within three months the tone of the exchanges is personal and intense, and their second meeting--thereafter referred to as The Great Week--marks the beginning of a profound, apparently uninterrupted devotion. One can't mistake--or fail to appreciate--the passion in the Whitman allusions and streams of superlatives (""Deep you are & fine you are & with mystic strands of power running all thru you"") nor the heady idealism as they anticipate a lifetime of love and service. Months before the ceremony (no ring, ""obey"" deleted), one hears the activist Lilian pondering her role in this association, and in their first years together some ambivalence toward his constant traveling peeks through the loving encouragements and newsy reports. Helga believes her mother's untroubled deference preserved the ardor of their relationship--years later the letters and Paula poems reflect the same deep regard--and she avows, ""I know it made their home a tranquil one."" She concentrates on the years before 1925, when he was meeting assorted notables (including a chilly, mocking Frost) and their household welcomed Eugene Debs, Joseffy the necromancer, Frank Lloyd Wright, Amy Lowell, and, most frequently, adored Uncle Ed whose photos grace the family album and enlarged their views of the world. In these unromantic days of sitcom relationships and contractual agreements, a refreshing, unpretentious recreation.

Pub Date: Jan. 6, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1977

Categories: NONFICTION