Barbara J. HambyAuthor & Poet |
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Snorting Good HumorElephants Don’t Snore by Leverett Richards, is a book that didn’t attract me with its title when I was signing my poetry books in downtown Vancouver near where Mr. Richards was selling and signing Elephants Don’t Snore. How uninformed I was! I just finished reading his delightful book, which could be an entertaining textbook for a course in Pacific Northwest History. He bought my little poetry book that day, because he took a shine to a particular poem. After reading his book, I understand his attraction to whimsical humor. He was infected with it and sprinkled it freely through his book.. If I’ve done my math correctly, he was 88 years old when I met him for the first time that day. While he was buying my book, the mayor of Vancouver, Royce Pollard, walked up and asked him to fly to China with a group that would be leaving shortly. Mr. Richards politely declined, despite much urging. I wanted to say, “Take me, Mr. Mayor,” but I resisted the temptation. I suspect the group was not looking for a poet. Leverett Richards was a reporter and a pilot who worked many years for The Oregonian newspaper. He lived to be 92. Reading between the lines in Elephants Don’t Snore, autobiographical information leads me to believe that he lived most, if not all, of those years, to the fullest. The book is still available on amazon.com and I’m sure Mr. Richards would be highly amused to read a portion of their webpage that refers to his book:
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By the way, the poem that persuaded Leverett Richards to buy my book follows: Sentry
Here I am, scoop in hand
Doesn’t do a damn thing
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