Lecture on Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" and WWI Supreme Sacrifice at Ridgewood Public Library

RIDGEWOOD, NJ – The traveling lecture series of the story of poet patriot Joyce kilmer’s writing of the famous poem “Trees” in Mahwah, NJ and his death in World War I moves to the Ridgewood Public Library.

The presentation by the Joyce Kilmer Society of Mahwah will take place on Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 pm.

“We are gratified by the continuing interest of libraries, schools and houses of worship in the life and works of Joyce Kilmer,” said Alex Michelini, Society founder.”The number of Joyce Kilmer lectures and exhibits has climbed beyond a score and at least a half dozen more are schleduled for coming months.”

An exhibit depicting milestones in Kilmer’s life is also featured in the Library.

The Society  located proof in the Georgetown University Library that Kilmer wrote “Trees” in an upstairs room of his Mahwah House and dated the writing February 2, 1913. The poem continues to rank among the most favorite in the English language.

Kilmer built a distinguished career as a journalist for The New York Times while living in Mahwah. He enlisted in the Army after the United States entered World War I in 1917, and  served with distinction in France where he was killed in action and was posthumously awarded the French Croix de Guerre for courage under fire.