Piece Description

Clive Haswell was born in Empire, Michigan in 1913. He says that he was born 50 years too late, that the lifestyle he wanted to lead was already on its way out as he was growing up. As a young man Clive crossed "the LAKE", his beloved Lake Michigan and spent a good part of the 1930's riding the rails and playing back-alley poker. Over the years he met quite a few characters and saw parts of the country that will stick with him forever. Having a gift for verse since he was a child it wasn't until his later years that, at the coaxing of a "lady friend", he began writing his poems down. Once he started he couldn't stop. By mining the rich content of his past Clive penned some 5000 poems filling up over 40 handwritten books of poetry. This feature was produced for Interlochen Public Radio for National Poetry Month.