Sisters Donate Poems By Joyce Kilmer's Widow To Library

MAHWAH, NJ — Two sisters donated a vintage book containing a collection of poetry by Joyce Kilmer's wife, Aline, to the Mahwah Public Library Wednesday.

Joyce Kilmer is most famous for his poem "Trees," which he wrote in Mahwah in 1913.

Dorinda Checke and her sister Barbara Murdock presented "Candles That Burn" to library director Kurt Hadeler recently. The book contains a collection of poems by Aline Kilmer published in 1919. The sisters inherited the book, along with three others of Joyce Kilmer's poems, from their aunt.

Checke and Murdock donated the other three books to the library in 2013. They include a first edition of "Trees and Other Poems."

The founder and president of the Joyce Kilmer Society Alex Michelini arranged the donations.

"The society applauds this generosity in providing significant encouragement and support to our educational mission on behalf of these amazing poets, Joyce and Aline,” said Michelini.” We are happy to suggest that any other similar donations also should be made to the Library where the public, particularly young people, can see the achievements of neighbors of yesteryear.”

Joyce Kilmer was killed by a sniper's bullet in World War I while fighting with French forces in Europe. "Trees" was listed as number 26 on the top 50 poems in the English language in the 2012 Google poll.

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Photo, from left: Library Director Kurt Hadeler, sisters Barbara Miurdock and Dorinda Checke and Alex Michelini, president of the Joyce Kilmer Society of Mahwah with a copy of "Candles That Burn." — Courtesy of Alex Michelini