A WRITER’S THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BYRON HERBERT REECE
BY STACEY ANDERSON PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BYRON HERBERT REECE SOCIETY
“From chips and shards, in idle times, I made these stories, shaped these rhymes; May they engage some friendly tongue When I am past the reach of song.” EPIGRAPH FOR “BOW DOWN IN JERICHO”
When walking the campus of Young Harris College, you may hear whispers of a ghost story—the legend of a great poet whose short life of loneliness and illness was prematurely brought to an end in 1958. This man, Byron Herbert Reece, ’40, was actually a revered YHC alumnus and professor, celebrated poet and novelist, and driving force behind the celebration of Appalachian culture in the land where he dwelled for four decades. Reece published two novels and four books of poetry during his lifetime. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for “Bow Down in Jericho” and received the “Author of the Year” award from the Georgia Writers Association five times. “No other alumnus has come close to achieving his level of fame in the literary world,” explained YHC alumnus, Professor Emeritus of Religion and Philosophy, and Byron Herbert Reece Society (BHRS) Chair John Kay, D.Min., ’56. “It’s vitally important that YHC claim 42
and acclaim Reece as one of our own.” Born on Sept. 14, 1917, in the shadow of Blood Mountain, Reece showed an early aptitude for literature and had read the entire Bible before starting school at the age of 6. He attended YHC in the fall of 1935, but his studies were cut short by the necessity to return to the family farm and assist his father with tending the crops and livestock. Both of his parents suffered from tuberculosis and, as a result, the extensive farm labor and financial burdens often fell to Reece. When he returned to YHC in 1938, he continued to work in order to boost his scholarship. “He was there during a period of time when many youth hailing from impoverished backgrounds worked on the College farm and at other campus jobs to earn their way,” noted Dr. Kay. Reece’s days spent at YHC were some of his most joyous. He made lifelong friends and found the literary guidance he had long craved. “He was part of a group of boys who met to write poetry,” said Associate Professor Emeritus of English and BHRS Executive Committee At-Large Member Janice Moore. “Those kindred spirits who called themselves the ‘Quill Club’ surely made for happy student days.” The club published anthologies of poetry titled “If eyes were made for seeing.” Of the 44 poems published, 31 were by Reece.