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Kenneth Leslie fonds Poetry
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Abels, Lydia

File contains two pieces of correspondence, dated January 1973, sent to Kenneth Leslie by Lydia Abels (Mrs Alexander Hamilton Abels), from Boston, Massachusetts. The first piece of correspondence, dated January 5th, discusses Lydia's declining health. The second piece of correspondence, dated January 8th, mentions Lydia's excitement about receiving a copy of Kenneth Leslie's recent anthology of poems, and how the package "looked exactly like your old Protestant" when it arrived.

Andover-Harvard Theological Library

File contains typed correspondence from the Andover-Harvard Theological Library (Cambridge, MA), dated 1973, and sent to Kenneth Leslie. The first, dated January 8, 1973, sent by Mrs. John Timoney, expresses appreciation for a donated copy of 'O'Malley to the Reds'. The second, undated and sent by William C. Bourque [?], references the library's not having received issues 25:1 thru 25:3 of New Man (Jan-Mar 1973).

Ashley, Ruth

File contains handwritten correspondence written by Mrs. Ruth H. Ashley (of Wabash, Indiana), dated January 25, 1963, and sent to Kenneth Leslie. File mentioned Ashley's appreciation of Leslie's contributions to Protestant scholarship in his periodical publications The Protestant and The New Christian, and discusses her discovery of related publications and musings on the "close relationship between the philosophy of Jesus and the economic program of Marxism" as well as contemporary Chinese/Soviet relations.

Ashworth, Joseph

File contains handwritten correspondence sent by Joseph Ashworth (of Calgary, Alberta) to Kenneth Leslie, dated September 5, 1972. File acknowledges a $5.00 payment for the purchase of one of Leslie's publications, as well as confirming a new mailing address.

Aslaug Vaa translations : [manuscripts]

File contains several handwritten drafts of translations of two poems originally written by Aslaug Vaa and translated by Nora Steenerson Smith (later Nora Leslie), fourth wife of Kenneth Leslie. There are six handwritten drafts of a translation of Duva og dropen (with minor variations and corrections), and seven drafts of a translation of the Skinnvengbrev (with minor variations and corrections).

Assenat, John

File contains a piece of handwritten correspondence written by John Assenat (of N. Charleroi, PA), on January 29, [1973], and sent to Kenneth Leslie. File acknowledges submitting payment for the December 1972 and January 1973 issues of The New Man, the recent publication of a book by New Man contributor Hugh Hester, as well as wishing Mr Leslie well after his "sick spell".

Bass, Harold

File contains the typed draft of a letter written by Harold J. Bass (of Tacoma, WA), post-marked November 18, 1972, and submitted to Kenneth Leslie for consideration for inclusion in the publication The New Man. The piece, entitled "Whose mistake?", addresses the horrors and "tragedy of Vietnam", suggesting that George McGovern was barely listened to on the campaign trail "because he declared openly that we have done wrong and we ought to acknowledge and correct that wrong", while Nixon appears to merely want to "cover the wrong and make it seem like a right" with his "peace with honor" promises.

Bell, Jim

File contains a piece of handwritten correspondence sent by Jim K. Bell (Halifax), dated December 28, 1972, to Kenneth Lesile. File acknowledges enclosure of a cheque covering the cost of four copies of Leslie's self-published poetry anthology "O'Malley and the Reds and other poems", as well as a new subscription to The New Man. File also praises Leslie's "determination to resist and fight the fascist bastards" through his continued social-minded publications.

Bilainkin, George

File contains two pieces of correspondence written on Royal Commonwealth Society letterhead by George [Bilainkin] in 1972 and 1973 and sent to Kenneth Leslie. The first letter, handwritten and dated September 26, 1972, derides a £220,000 football transfer fee while "pilots are to get £10,3000 a year, [...] railmen are criticized for demanding [a raise of] £20 a week, [and the] chief gets £2500 rise on his lunatic salary of £20,000". The second letter, typed and dated May 19, 1973, derides the "US gangsters" for spreading "inconceivable evil [...] so widely round innocent, harmless creatures, in India and Pakistan, Cyprus and Cuba", the "hoodlum fraud" of the US courts re: Cambodia, the murders which "our BBC and press do not even mention", with the mournful refrain that "this country smells as fearfully as yours -- and none of the citizenry suspects!" Bilainkin was a foreign correspondent and biographer.

Brief biographical notes : [manuscripts]

File contains undated fragments of biographical notes written by Kenneth Leslie. File contains a ~100-word piece entitled "Short biography of Edward Bellamy, translated from the Dutch", written presumable in the spring of 1950, based off of articles which appeared in the March 22 1950 (volume 17, number 6) of "Bellamy: Officieel sociaal-economisch orgaan van de Internationale Verniging Bellamy"; with the verso containing a note about a request for an article for the Liverpool Advocate newspaper. File also contains ~130 words about Jean-Jacques Rousseau and humanism, as well as basic genealogical information about Alexander Leslie and Walter L.[eslie].

Byrne, Florida

File contains a handwritten letter created by Florida L. Byrne (of Tacoma, Washington) dated May 15, 1973, and sent to Kenneth Leslie. Letter gauges Leslie's interest in receiving copies of U.S. Farm News (whose publisher, Fred Stover, "spoke very highly of [Leslie] in one of his letters". Letter also expresses appreciation for receipt of a copy of Leslie's self-published poetry anthology "O'Malley and the Reds and other poems. Finally, letter inquires to the interest in Leslie's receipt of a few books from Mrs Byrne's personal collection.

Card to Kenneth Leslie from Gloria McHugh

Item is an undated Christmas card from Gloria McHugh to her father, Kenneth Leslie, expressing hopes for "good health" and "satisfaction from your much needed work" and regret about delays in writing due to her own illness over the previous summer.

Chapman, G. C.

File contains typed correspondence written by G.C. Chapman (from New Westminster, BC), dated May 11, 1972, and sent to Kenneth Leslie. File acknowledges enclosure of a cheque to ensure renewal of a subscription to Leslie's periodical The New Man.

Chicago Ministerial Action Committee

File contains typed correspondence dated November 22, 1946, about a resolution passed at a meeting of the Chicago Ministerial Action Committee of The Protestant, at a meeting on November 19, 1946, following questioning of Kenneth Leslie's leadership. The resolution states that "We [...] sincerely deprecate the action of those who have endangered our whole endeavor by placing your position of leadership in a false light, [and] unanimously go on record expressing our complete and sincere loyalty to you." File includes a list of the signatories of the resolution.

Correspondence of Nora Leslie

File contains correspondence sent to Nora Leslie (née Nora Steenerson Smith, Nora Totten), fourth wife of Kenneth Leslie, from the 1950s to the 1970s. File includes letters and cards sent by Emilie Laraway, Mary Lewis, Helene Mullins, and Elizabeth and John Robertson. File also includes an undated note written by Nora Leslie after Kenneth Leslie's death, regarding a disagreement with Kenneth's daughter Rosaleen. File also includes a photocopy of a clipping of Nora's obituary.

Daigel, L.

File contains handwritten correspondence written by L. Daigel (of Putney, VT), dated January 1, 1973, and sent to Kenneth Leslie. File acknowledges receipt of a copy of "your book of poems", presumably "O'Malley and the Reds", but laments that "the finest of literature is on the way out" given perceived decline in interest in poetry. File also mentions a cheque enclosure to renew subscription for New Man.

Davis, Mary

File contains a typed letter unsigned by Kenneth Leslie, written on March 19, 1931 to be sent to Mary Davis of Summit, New Jersey. File addresses outlining an evening of Gaelic dance and music, organized by Kenneth and his first wife, Elizabeth Moir, mentioning the potential of his three young daughters assisting in the dancing. The goal of the program is to display the "instrumental music, song, and dance, expressive of the classic culture of Gaeldom. File also contains a facsimile of Leslie's letter.

Duncan, Pam, Dr.

File contains a typed letter written by Dr. P. [Pam] Duncan of University of Victoria and Dr. J. [Joan] Coldwell of McMaster University, sent to Kenneth Leslie on September 25, 1972. File expresses the authors' interest in including any of "material published or unpublished" that Leslie would be willing to offer to the publication of a literary anthology of psychology courses, featuring works "which illustrate clearly defined psychological states such as depression, euphoria or anxiety" or featuring characters "who might be mentally retarded, paranoid, schizophrenic or addicted to drugs."

Garber, Paul

File contains two letters written by Bishop Paul N. Garber (of Geneva, Switzerland), and one response from Kenneth Leslie, dated March and April 1946. The first letter, dated March 7, 1946, from Garber, informs Leslie of his meeting in Warsaw with Stefan Molski, a correspondent for Leslie's publication The Protestant, and discusses the current tenuous Polish political situation. The response from Leslie, dated April 11, 1946, inquires as to whether Bishop Garber would be willing contribute an article to The Protestant, and gauging Garber's interest in serving as an adviser of the publication's Editorial Board. Garber's response, dated April 17, 1946. affirms his interest in serving as an editorial adviser, but warns that he will also be "very busy" given his need to attend "four annual conferences [held] in rapid succession in Switzerland, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland."

Garrison, Jim

File contains a typed letter (with three lines of handwritten correspondence) sent by Jim Garrison, District Attorney of New Orleans, to Kenneth Leslie, dated January 18, 1973. The typed portion of the letter discusses Garrison's review that was featured in the forthcoming February 1973 issue of Harper's Magazine, where Garrison reviewed the diaries of Arthur Bremer (who attempted to assassinate Governor George Wallace in Laurel, Maryland the previous May). A facsimile of Garrison's review is included in this file. The handwritten postscript to the letter thanks Leslie for publishing Garrison's most recent press release in a recent issue of Leslie's "New Man" publication, and also expresses his thanks for Leslie's gift of a book of his "excellent poems."

God and the intellectuals : [manuscript]

File contains a typed draft manuscript (with a few inked corrections) of a sermon delivered by Kenneth Leslie, likely in the early 1940s, entitled "God and the Intellectual". File addresses the role of colleges in teaching metaphysics, before moving on to the threat posed by "the sickness of America [and the] whole modern world. [...] Call it transcendentalism. Call it idealism" during the Second World War, wherein the motto "transcendentalism : greed' was the antiphonal change for the burying of [early] New England", much as it has been in the run-up to war, and the efforts to prevent the acceptance of "absolute ideas as substitutes for organic thinking", as in fascism, which demands "all or nothing" answers.

Hester, Hugh B.

File contains fourteen draft typed manuscripts columns and handwritten letters, written by Brigadier-General Hugh B. Hester, a noted critic of American foreign policy, written in 1972 and 1973, submitted to numerous newspapers with copies (as well as a couple of personal handwritten letters) sent to Kenneth Leslie. The topics of the letters include the ongoing "disastrous mistake" of the Vietnam War, the "most ballyhooed" nuclear agreements between Nixon and Brezhnev, the 1972 Presidential Election (declaring that Americans "could not psychologically bring themselves to vote for McGovern because his election would have proven true all those crimes committed by Washington [against the Vietnamese people]" and the developing Watergate scandal.

File contains correspondence sent to the Charlotte Observer, the New York Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Senator Michael Mansfield (D-MT), The Nation Magazine, the Asheville Citizen, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Greenville News, and Meyer Robert Field.

The letter written to Leslie, dated July 4, 1973, expresses regret at not yet discussing Hester's recent trip to China, as well as demanding that Nixon should "be dismissed and tried" for his actions regarding the escalating Watergate scandal. The file also includes a draft manuscript of a letter "to the Editor" of Leslie's "New Man Magazine", dated November 27, 1972, responding to newspaper magnate John S. Knight proclamation that the "two-party system will continue to be strong and stable" being incorrect following McGovern's defeat, suggesting that "there were no 1972 presidential elections in any meaningful sense".

Ireland, Jean

File contains a handwritten letter sent by Jean Ireland of Sebastopol, CA, dated January 24, 1973, to Kenneth Leslie. The file expresses Ireland's thanks for Leslie sending her a copy of his most recent book of poems, and laments what "skullduggery [sic] will be used as a substitution for war in Indochina since the ceasefire".

Kenneth Leslie fonds

  • MS-2-232
  • Fonds
  • 1913-1975
Fonds consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, manuscripts, sermons, miscellaneous papers, poetry volumes and copies of The Protestant, a journal edited by Kenneth Leslie.

Leslie, Kenneth

Kenneth Leslie's correspondence

Series contains typed and handwritten correspondence from family, friends, and associates. Material includes correspondence both to and from Kenneth Leslie and the Leslie family.

Kenneth Leslie's sketchbook

File contains an undated No. 7191 "Monterery" drawing spiral sketch book, containing pencil drawings by Kenneth Leslie, with artwork created presumably in the late 1930s or early 1940s. The sketchbook is largely blank, however, there are pencil drawings on the first three pages. The first is a 45° side-on portrait of "R. Currie" signed by Leslie. The second is an untitled study of a woman's face as she leans forward. The third is also untitled, the beginnings of a rural scene with a cabin at the end of a roadway.

Kominsky, Morris

File contains five pieces of typed correspondence written by Morris Kominsky, of Elsinore, CA, between March and July of 1972, and sent to Kenneth Leslie. File contains Kominsky's discussions about the inclusion of his essay "The anatomy of Fascism" in a forthcoming issue of Leslie's publication "New Man" as well as Kominsky's request for dozens of copies; his desire to extend the readership of Kominsky's recent book "The Hoaxers"; and his efforts to expose an extremist plot against targets in Haiphong harbor, Vietnam.

File also contains facsimiles of correspondence sent to Kominsky, including two from sitting members of Congress: Jerome R. Waldie (14th, California) and Victor V. Veysey (38th, California) regarding threats to blow up a dredge in Haiphong harbor "that keeps [it] navigable [during the War]", as instigated in the October 1971 issue of Off-the-Cuff, written and distributed by "avowed member of the John Birch Society", ideologue Nord Davis, Jr. (fragments of which are included).

Latham, Harold S.

File contains an undated Christmas card, likely from the 1950s or early-1960s, sent by Harold S. Latham, of Kearny, NJ (formerly chief editor of Macmillan Publishing Company), to Kenneth Leslie. File briefly recounts Latham's recent trip to Nova Scotia to visit "Five Islands on Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy", and expresses regret at not having heard from Leslie recently. Latham was Leslie's editor when he published his first collection of poems, "Windward Rock" (Macmillan, 1934).

Letter and card to Kenneth Leslie from Nanette Bowditch

File consists of a letter (dated February 1, 1973, from Success, Saskatchewan) and an undated Christmas card [ca. early-1970s] written by Nanette Bowditch, daughter of Kenneth Leslie's brother Eric. The letter discusses the activities of her children, George and Emily, the recent publication of his book of poetry, and Kenneth's relationship with his sisters, Marjorie and Emily. The Christmas card contains a brief letter and is signed by Nanette, her husband Walter, and their two children.

Letter and card to Kenneth Leslie from Rosaleen Dickson

File contains an undated typed letter from his daughter Rosaleen regarding sending a selection of typed copies of poems to Mr. [Patrick] Crean at McClelland and Stewart and also mentions that Sean Haldane, publisher of The Collected Poems of Kenneth Leslie, had not been informed of the efforts to publish an alternate collection of Leslie's works. File also contains a facsimile family photograph of the Dickson children: Jennifer, Elizabeth, Marjorie, Ross, and Charles.

Letter written by Kenneth Leslie regarding the threat posed by fascism and antisemitism in the United States

Item is a two-page typed letter written by Kenneth Leslie on December 17, 1942. The letter addresses the threat posed by the fascist movement and antisemitism in the United States, both at present during the war, as well as the threats posed "after the war is over", where "this Fascistic movement will let loose with its first barrage, to consist of a wave of terror against the Jew". The letter, which an accompanying index card suggests should be sent "first to Presidents of colleges and then to professors of education, philosophy, psychology, historical and sociological sciences", urges educators join the "Protestant Digest"-supported Textbook Commission to eliminate anti-Semitic statements in American textbooks as a means of warding off fascism and antisemitism "not in the name of any church but in the name of democracy".

Lischeron, J. N.

File contains an undated (presumably late 1972) handwritten letter, written by J.N. Lischeron (of Windsor, ON) and addressed to Kenneth Leslie. File acknowledges Mr Lischeron's receipt of a copy of Leslie's poetry anthology "O'Malley to the Reds", and mentions the author's "deepest respect [and] great admiration [for Leslie's] forthrightness and courage to maintain the truthfullness [sic]" he upheld whilst publishing The Protestant and The New Man.

Lord, David B.

File contains seven letters (three typed and four hand-written), written between 1972 and 1973, by David B. Lord (from Jacksonville, FL). Five of the letters are addressed to Kenneth Leslie, while one is addressed to his wife, Nora, and another addressed to Kurt Anderson (New York, NY), with Kenneth Leslie and George Bilankian carbon-copied.

The first letter, dated March 25, 1972, addresses Lord's appreciation of Leslie's poetry, discusses the passing of Lord's acquaintance Harold Cohn and a misdeed the Cohn had done to Lord, as well as a request for more copies of the previous issue of New Man.

The following two letters are dated June 12, 1972. The first, addressed to Nora, expresses his closeness to her despite Lord's not having met her, having heard good things from a mutual friend in California. The other letter, addressed to Kenneth but undated (same stationery and ink), expresses Lord's regret at taking so long to answer the previous message. Lord expresses his disgust with "the shame of Vietnam" and of "Tricky Dick [...] claiming to be a Quaker, with Billy Graham as his co-pilot" as being a "good example of religion at its lowest", but expressing admiration of the "young, protesting with their bodies, but [that] the sadistic pigs are having their field day."

The fourth letter, dated December 10, 1972 and addressed to Kurt Anderson, responds to Anderson's article "From life to money to body counts" which appeared in the October 1972 issue of The Churchman. It includes excerpts from Kenneth Leslie's and George Bilankian's responses to the same article.

The fifth is a postcard sent from France, dated January 12, 1973, expressing the view that "America has failed the world."

The sixth is a handwritten four-page letter of the same date, from Foix, Languedoc, draws comparisons between the present destruction of Vietnam with the past "attempted destruction" of the "Albigensian civilization", addressing how one should address to the "hopeless disaster" while living in a country that now seems "resigned to its fate". Lord also is reminded of an article he wrote for The Protestant "more than thirty years ago" entitled 'The spirit of crucified Spain'.

In the final letter, dated March 10, 1973, Lord expresses his pleasure at having returned from France to an awaiting copy of 'O'Malley to the Reds', recounts his visit with George Bilankian in London, and remarks on the "history of dissent" found while following his family trail through genealogical work. He mentions being "indebted to Rev. James B. Leslie, M.A. Rector of Kilsaran" for directing Lord's research efforts in the right direction.

MacLean, M.

File contains a handwritten letter, written by M. MacLean (of Sydney, NS), dated April 14, 1972, and addressed to Kenneth Leslie. File expresses "very great appreciation" of receipt of a copy of 'O'Malley to the Reds', drawing connections to "the powerful image of Dr [Moses] Coady", and happy to discover that he is "still going strong [with] hopes you shall continue your creative works."

McQuinn, Marion and John

File contains an undated Christmas card (presumably early 1970s) sent by Marion and John McQueen to Kenneth Leslie.

Murray, Kaye and R. Charles

File contains a Christmas card, post-marked November 1972, and sent by Kaye & R. Charles Murray (of Lower Sackville, NS), and sent to Kenneth and Nora Leslie.

Music notebook

File contains a bound notebook used by Kenneth Leslie for the purposes of writing musical notations and scores, presumably from the 1930s. The notebook is largely blank, with only four pages used by Leslie. The first page contains an untitled melody fragment four bars long in the F-major key, written in pencil, with notations in both bass and treble. The second page contains a fragment of a song entitled "Sheep and Lambs", with music by Kenneth Leslie and words by Katharine Tynan (misspelled "Katherine"), with treble notations, in 3/4 metre and the F-major key. The third entry is a song entitled "So It Rises So It Soars", with words and music by Leslie, written in G-major key, the first two lines being "Builder of my growing soul / Found in deeply as you must". The fourth and final entry is an eight-bar fragment, in G-major, following a leaf that was torn out.

My love she walks not with me : [manuscript]

File contains a handwritten manuscript of a song entitled "My love she walks not with me", with words and music by Kenneth Leslie, undated (but written presumably in the mid-1930s, after the collapse of his first marriage). The song is written in F-major, contains 24 bars of music in treble, and begins with the lines "The fragrance of the hawthorn and the rose after rain / Makes my misery completer". Music and words are written on only one page.

New-Man records

File contains textual records pertaining to Kenneth Leslie's religio-political publication New-Man.

Nicholson, Marilyn

File contains a four-page handwritten letter by Marilyn Nicholson (dated January 26, 1973) and sent to Kenneth Leslie. File begins with Marilyn expressing her great appreciation for receiving Leslie's 'O'Malley to the Reds' collection of poems, before mentioning her "modest" husband David's "temperature [rising] to 150 degrees and all his blood went to his head" upon being reminded that the piece 'Poetry and propaganda' had been dedicated to him by Leslie. The file then passes on best wishes to Nora, before discussing family goings-on.
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