Joy Bale Boone

Joy Bale Boone
Born	(1912-10-29)October 29, 1912 Chicago, Illinois,U.S.
Died	October 1, 2002(2002-10-01)(aged 89) Glasgow, Kentucky,U.S.
Occupation	poet

Joy Bale Boone(October 29, 1912 – October 3, 2002) was an American poet best known for her devotion to the arts. She was also active in thewomen's liberation movementthroughout her life. Although she was born inChicago, IllinoisBoone spent most of her life inKentucky.

Life and career

Boone became interested in poetry at a very young age. As a young girl, she attended the Chicago Latin School and then went on toRoycemore Schoolfor girls. Boone received inspiration as a young girl from poetHarriet Monroe,who lived just a few blocks away from her as a child. Bale Boone came to Kentucky to begin her career in writing after she met her husband, Shelby Garnett Bale. The two met in Chicago while Garnett Bale was attending medical school atNorthwestern University.They were married in 1934. In the first few years of their marriage, the couple lived in both New York and Louisville while Garnett Bale finished his residencies.

In 1944, Boone formed the League of Women Voters in Hardin County, Kentucky. and served as its first president.Bale Boone's first job in Kentucky came in 1945 as a book reviewer for theLouisville Courier-Journal.In 1964, Boone went on to found the literary magazineApproaches.She held the position of editor of the magazine until 1975. She was also the editor for the 1964 and 1967Contemporary Poetrycollections. Bale Boone has had many individual poems published, but her most significant work wasThe Storm's Eye: A Narrative in Verse Celebrating Cassius Marcellus Clay, Man of Freedom 1810–1903.Her two collections of poetry include:Never Less Than Love(1972) andEven Without Love(1992). Boone received the Distinguished Kentuckian Award fromKETin 1974. She also received the Sullivan Award from theUniversity of Kentuckyin 1969. Finally, in 1997, Boone was honored by being named thePoet Laureate of Kentucky.

Boone spent most her life inElizabethtown, Kentuckywith her first husband, physician Shelby Garnett Bale. The couple had four sons and two daughters. Shelby Garnett Bale (Senior) died in 1972. In 1975, Boone marriedGeorge Street Booneof Elkton. After marrying, she spent many years residing inElkton, Kentuckywhere she continued to write and actively serve the state of Kentucky through the arts.

After suffering from an illness for some time, Boone died inGlasgow, Kentuckyon Tuesday, October 3, 2002, at the age of 89.

The arts

Boone dedicated her life to the arts. Throughout her life, she served on numerous committees and boards in hopes that more people would have the opportunity to experience the arts in the way that she had. She served as President of the Friends of Kentucky Libraries; in this role, she spearheaded the creation of the bookmobile, which is still used today to deliver books to those who are unable to come to the library. She served on many other boards and committees, these include: the Kentucky Educational Television Advisory Board, Kentucky Council on Higher Education (now theKentucky Council on Postsecondary Education), Editorial Board of theUniversity Press of Kentucky,theKentucky Humanities Council,chair of the Robert Penn Warren Committee atWestern Kentucky University,board member the Robert Penn Warren Circle atDuke University,director of the Thomas Clark Foundation of the University Press of Kentucky, and the Gaines Center for the Humanities at theUniversity of Kentucky.

References

Sources

• Greene, Jerry (4 October 2002)."Articles about Blethen".Orlando Sentinel.Retrieved2011-12-28.
• Murrey, Loretta (12 May 1999)."An Interview with Kentucky poet Joy Jale-Boone".Border States: Journal of the Kentucky-Tennessee American Studies Association.Retrieved2011-12-28.
• Kleber, John E. (1992).Joy Jale-Boone.Le xing ton, Kentucky: University of Kentucky. Archived fromthe originalon 2020-08-09.Retrieved2010-11-29.