Daniel Whitehead Hicky (b December 6, 1900 Social Circle, Ga. – d July 17, 1976 Atlanta, Ga.) was an American poet and one of the most widely published poets in America during his prime.
In addition to his six published books; "Bright Harbor" (1932),
[ "Thirteen Sonnets For Georgia" (1933), "Call Back The Spring" (1935), "Wild Heron" (1940), "Never The Nightingale" (1951), and "The Poems of Daniel Whitehead Hicky" (1975), his work was regularly published in the national magazines, newspapers, and periodicals including ''The Saturday Evening Post'', '']Harper's Magazine
''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...
'', ''The Atlanta Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
'', ''The North American Review
The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived a ...
'', ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', ''Cosmopolitan Magazine
''Cosmopolitan'' is an American monthly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in New York City in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and, since 1965, has become a List ...
'', ''New York Herald-Tribune
The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the ''New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...
'', and others. He also wrote a column for the ''Atlanta Journal and Constitution'', "As I Was Saying", discussing news, events and gossip from the local country clubs such as Piedmont Driving Club and Capitol City Club. And he gave lectures and readings of his poems throughout the South and Eastern US at various colleges, clubs, and poetry societies.
One of his most popular poems was "A Letter From the Front", the popularity was partially due to Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the American Civil War-era novel '' Gone with the Wind'', for which she wo ...
(author of "Gone With The Wind") sending it to fans when they asked if Georgia is really like what it is in the novel. It was also published in the Saturday Evening Post
''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...
, July 17, 1943.
During his prime he traveled the world extensively providing with material. Though many of his poems were written about the home state of Georgia, particularly Sea Island, Georgia
Sea Island is a privately owned, unincorporated area of Glynn County, Georgia, and is part of the Golden Isles of Georgia, which include St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, and the mainland city of Brunswick. The well-vi ...
. He was president of the Atlanta Writers Club for two years, and for many years was considered for Poet Laureate of Georgia. In 1931, he won the American Poetry Society's prize for his poem, "Machines".[ And in 1941, he was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
Later in life, he worked as an editor at the Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C.][ Encouraged by friends and fans he published a final farewell book, "The Poems of Daniel Whitehead Hicky" (1975), the year before he died. It includes reissues of old favorites and some poems published for the first time.
His ancestors include Col. Philip Hickey (first generation Irish-American), owner of Hope Estate Plantation in Baton Rouge, La. And William Whitehead, poet laureate of England (1757). He is buried in ]Westview Cemetery
Westview Cemetery, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest civilian cemetery in the Southeastern United States, comprising more than , 50 percent of which is undeveloped. ( Georgia National Cemetery, for military veterans and their families, ...
in Atlanta near his sister, Elizabeth and husband Karl.
Published works
His published work includes:
*''Bright Harbor'' (New York, Henry Holt and Co., 1932)
*''Thirteen Sonnets for Georgia'' (1933)
*''Call Back the Spring'' (New York, Henry Holt and Co, 1935)
*''Wild Heron'' (Harper, 1940)
*''Never the Nightingale'' (Atlanta, Tupper and Love, 1951)
*''Poems of Daniel Whitehead Hicky'' (Cherokee Publishing Co., Atlanta, GA, 1975)
In addition to his published books, his poems were frequently published in newspapers and magazines such as ''Harper's Magazine'',The Free Lance–Star
''The Free Lance–Star'' is the principal daily newspaper distributed throughout Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States, with a circulation area including the city of Fredericksburg and all or parts of the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, ...
'', ''The Saturday Evening Post
''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...
'', ''The North American Review'', ''The Pittsburgh Press
''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...
'', ''The New York Times'' , ''Scribner's Magazine'', ''The American Mercury'', ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Cosmopolitan Magazine'', ''The Catholic World'','' McCall's Magazine'', ''The Georgia Review'', ''The Ladies' Home Journal'', ''New York Herald-Tribune'', ''Good Housekeeping'', ''The Yale Review'', ''Georgia Magazine'', ''The North American Review'', ''The Saturday Review of Literature'', ''The Progressive Farmer'', and ''The Bellringer''.
Awards and distinctions
*Shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
for poetry in 1941Poetry Society of America
The Poetry Society of America is a literary organization founded in 1910 by poets, editors, and artists. It is the oldest poetry organization in the United States. Past members of the society have included such renowned poets as Witter Bynner, Ro ...
in 1931
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hicky, Daniel Whitehead
1900 births
1976 deaths
People from Social Circle, Georgia
American male poets
20th-century American male writers