McLoed - Leroy
Source: Waveland Independent newspaper, Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana, June 19, 1931
LeRoy McLeod as his name indicates is of Scotch (Sic- Scots) parentage, although his family tree includes strains of English, German, Irish and French bloods. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie McLeod and was born at Anderson, Indiana in the first half of the "mauve decade" and his early life was spent on the farm at Browns Valley now owned by Dr. GA Jackson. In 1915, he took his Bachelor's degree from DePauw University. Newspaper work followed, with jobs raining from reporter to night editor on various papers throughout the West. Abandoning journalism for the wider field of advertising, he entered a large California agency as copywriter, eventually becoming a partner in the firm. His training and background are thus not unlike those that of several other American writers, notably, Sherwood Anderson, have experienced and the transition from copywrighting to creative work was begun in 1924 when Mr. McLeod began to write verse. During the following years his poems appeared in such magazines as Poetry; a magazine of verse and The Form, as well as the William Stanley Braithwaite's Anthlogy. His first book, Driven, appeared in 1929, simultaneously published in London and New York. He has since turned definitely to prose composition and Three Steeples is his first novel. - typed by kbz
Source: Waveland Independent newspaper, Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana, June 2, 1933
Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy MacLeod, of Los Angeles, were visitors at the library on Wednesday afternoon. They are guests of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Rusk at Browns Valley. Mr. MacLeod has had quite a good deal of prominence in the literary world with his two books, Three Steeples and Year of Peace. He has also published a volume of poems. At present he is working on a new novel and expect to spend the next six months in Indiana while he completes it. Mrs. MacLeod has had a number of poems published in some of the better magazines and expects to bring them out in book form soon. typed by kbz
-- LeRoy Oliver MacLeod – great article about him and his work
https://digitalresearch.bsu.edu/landandlit/Literature/Authors/macleodlo.htm
Source: Los Angeles Times Sun 8 Dec 1929 p 43
“Favorable Comment in England and at Home” by CL Quisno – Driven by LeRoy McLeod, Covici-Friede, New York.
Californians who take pride in the accomplishments of their State’s literary artists will be interested no doubt in their new poet, LeRoy McLeod whose first book, Driven is receiving unusually favorable comment in England as well as here. The book Driven is a collection of poems, some of which have appeared in the London Mercury, Form, Poetry and Lyric West and elsewhere. One wonders upon reading the acknowledgement page, why we haven’t heard more of this writer before. His poetry is not merely good or fine – it reaches truly epic heights in “Drouth”” a long narrative poem of about 100 pages. “Adolescence,” a sonnet sequence is remarkable for its iridescent beauty and the capture in words of the fleeting spirit of youth. McLeod demonstrates conclusively in his first book that he must be beckoned as one of the major poets of today. He has everything that goes to make great poetry. Here you find exquisite beauty of word, sound and color. You don’t stand away from McLeod’s verses and recite them. You are drawn close to them, into them. His command of words and his originality of phrasing make you see, hear, smell, feel, taste and wonder. Yet his words are never self-conscious. Most poets in their poetic flights, lose contact with their readers. McLeod has the uncanny ability, without striving or effort to make words mean far more than ever did before. His new meanings, strangely are almost always apparent to the reader; whereas many poets, even great ones, lost contact entirely with their audience and become merely wordy when they are striving so hard to be poetical. It is McLeod’s mastery over words and his descriptive power that give him at once poetic expression and reader understanding. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why he offers us so little chaff – the bane of the poetry reader. Words are but the starting point in McLeod’s art. He has something to say and he says it with the artistic detachment and fairness necessary to true art. No maundering philosophies or fanaticisms mar his stories. You feel – you know – that creation is the man springs from a deep inspiration, which never is sentimental or maudlin. McLeod’s pathos is not the crying-on-the-shoulder kind. It is the kind that looks unflinchingly at the futile struggle of life and sees beauty worth recording in the utter hopelessness. His inspiration soars to great heights but never gets out of hand as is right. Our new poet does little dancing in the spring fields of gaily colored flowers. His is the more solid task of turning up Mother Nature’s crust to reveal what the depths hold. His polished plowshare discloses much precious gold for us to treasure and keep. One has the feeling, when rereading the book, that many of these nuggets will stay endlessly bright to amaze and engage our children’s grandchildren and their descendants. It is unfair to a poet to drag his verses out single and expose them to analysis. Yet, some of McLeod’s verses are so truly illustrative of his many good qualities that we now call attention to a few:
“Night kneels along cool walls and under trees
To gather up the veils she dropped at dawn,
Pulls them from anchorage and slips them on
To hide the ancient face that no one sees
At last she lifts her gradual silhouette
In day’s wide exit … sights … and shuts the door.
Then, with the clothes the sleepy garden wore
All tucked away she croons: Forget … Forget!”
The withered grass is hot, the dust is hot – the heat assails
The northern bark that never knows the sun.
Heat lies in pressing waves on wilting corn,
On yellow stubble, where, unsheltered and forlorn,
The little mouse-eared stems of clover
Keep listening for rain and hearing none.
No cloud or bird goes drifting over,
Whose shadow might be soothing to the ground
And through this aching solitude at summer noon
There runs no saving rivulet of song,
In feather throats all springs of tune
Have shrunk and dried from panting breath so long.
Blown over them.
Now in the dense air far around
All sounds have dwindled to a drone
Of unseen wings in dismal monotone.”
“Around the house, as April dusk comes creeping
His collie treads the walk … and stops to bark,
The lamps are lighted and the man is sleeping
In the cold musty parlor he kept dark.
With clicking paws the quiet porch is shaken ..
And the dog, rearing, stares through the pane
At the weird form of one who will not waken
To tell how fangs’ close guarding was in vain.”
Source: Press-Telegram Thu 4 Oct 1923 p 1
7th annual convention of Calif. Advertising Service Association – Hotel Virginia – delegates from many California cities – convention under direction of Max J. Hammel & LeRoy McLeod. Discussion topics: advertising instruction in universities; better business bureaus; attitude of large stores toward nationally advertised products. Periods of recreation devoted to fishing, golf, sightseeing, bridge and mah-jogg for the women who attend. Up until noon today reservations for rooms at Hotel Virginia were made for the following delegates: LeRoy McLeod …
Source: LA Evening Express Mon 3 Feb 1930 p 12 – Ruth McClintock author
A multiplicity of federation leaders will be present to receive at the reception and tea honoring Mrs. John F. Sippel, pres of the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs … two luncheons of especial importance are the highlights of interest for Ebell of LA this week. The poetry section holds its annual luncheon on Tues Feb 4. Mrs. Thorwald Probst, curator will present the following speakers: Samuel Clover editor of the LA Sat Night. Mr. Clover was formerly editor of the Chicago Evening Post and is the author of three novels and several volumes of poetry. Marshall Breeden, author of The Romantic Southland of California.” LEROY McLeod the author of a new book of poetry which has had highest praise from English and American critics. Beulah May a sculptor and poet ….
Source: Huntington Herald 20 June 1917 Wed p 6
“Warren” – Mr. and Mrs. Leroy McLeod and son of Brown’s Valley spent the weekend with Mr. and Mrs. EP Miller.
Source: Huntington Herald Mon 17 July 1916 p 5
“Warren” – A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Leroy McLeod, Sunday July 9 at their home at Brown’s Valley. He has been named Vaughn Roderick. Mrs. McLeod was Miss Irene Miller of Warren, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. EP Miller.
Source: Noblesville Ledger Sat 14 May 1932 p 3
Arcadia Study Club – Mrs FM Cunningham read one of Riley’s poems, The Tree Toad. This brought smiles to the company present. A book review, Three Steeples by Leroy McLeod prepared by Mrs. Leslie Davis and read by Miss Josephine Rode concluded the program. McLeod is a Hoosier and comments were general.
Source: Indianapolis News 6 March 1913 p 5 – Indiana School Notes – Greencastle Sigma Delta Chi, the national honorary journalistic fraternity at DePauw has pledged Ralph Niece, Herbert Moore, LeRoy McLeod, John Binford and Ford Frick.
Source: Indianapolis News Fri 16 May 1913 p 2
Greencastle – new staff of DePauw University Daily was chosen Thursday. Claude Ogle on the paper 3 years was elected editor-in-chief with Glenn Tucker assistant. Ralph Niece business manager. Other editors: … Leroy McLeod
Source: Indianapolis Star Sat 20 Dec 1919 p 18 – 23rd annual meeting of the Indiana Duroc Swine Breeders Association to be held Jan 6 at Claypool Hotel. Lengthy program Don Mutterspaugh, Middleton giving “How do you manage, feed and care for Spring Pigs?” and Leroy of Browns Valley led the discussion afterward
Source: LA Times Sun 9 Jan 1927 p 56
Poems of the Times – LA poet anthology to be published but – “some of the poets who can but won’t point with pride to a biographical sketch in this volume are Sydney King Russell, H. Thompson Rich…. Leroy Oliver McLeod …