Salt Lake Telegram | 1927-07-24 | Page 4 | Two Young Poets Hoax Literary Critics of Oklahoma; Disconcerting Nom De Plume

Two Young Poets Hoax Literary Critics of Okla Oklahoma oma Disconcerting Nom de Plume I Virility and ana Power Attributed Attributed Attributed At At- to Verse of Mythical Plainsman OKLAHOMA CITY Okla Okia July 20 AP One AlJ One William Arthur Flowers an aged cowpuncher ap appeared appeared appeared ap- ap on the literary horizon in Oklahoma some sonic six months ago His ballads of ot the plains were praised for ther virility a a d str strength Critics and editors declared that only one who had lived d as this old man could write ballads like Kinzie Kinzie Kin Kin- Kinzie zie the tile Cattle Queen or th the Ballad Bal Bal- Balla la lad laJ of ot Cherokee Bill whose last words were were Boys you jou have done m me me wrong Then at the height of disc discussion William Arth Aithur Jr Flowers Flowers' unmasKed unmasked un- un masKed himself and turned out tobe tobe to be be two modern haired bobbed oung young women writers The rs of the hoax were Mrs Maurine laurine Halliburton McG McGee McGee Mc- Mc G Gee e. e and Mrs Trances Frances Billi y both of ot Ok Oklahoma City The old nan man of of the plains was conceived after a meeting ol of o the Oklahoma Authors Authors' league leagued at which they had heard a a- a number of plains ballads They wrote the ballads attributed to F Flowers by byal al alternating on the tile verses The ballads were based on historical l events events events' In Zoe Tilghman's Tilghmans Oklahoma history ry The writers sent their work to BA B B. A A. BotkIn professor of English at atthe atthe atthe the University y of ot Oklahoma and poetry critic for the Authors' Authors league He took Flowers work t td to the January meeting of ot the eague The members received the old oldmans ld mans contributions with enthusiasm Two ballads W were re printed in Oklahoma magazines and more more were requested Mrs l McGee and Mrs kept their Identity hidden by hy corresponding corresponding cor car responding through general elT and pretending Flowers was too ill to attend league meetings orto or orto orto to meet the members member I g v 7 7 I A i I 4 e t tk k Under masculine nom nom de plume Mrs Frances Billingsley left and Mrs Maurine Mauril Halliburton right received pr praise ise of literati for plains pains ball ballads ds they wrote