Maxwell Bodenheim (1892 – 1954) – American poet and writer

With thanks to Dr Connie Ruzich* for finding this poet. He is

also mentioned in Catherine W. Reilly's "English Poetry of the First World War"

Born in Hermanville, Mississippi, USA in 1892, Max’s parents were Solomon Bodenheimer from Germany, born July 1858, and his wife, Carrie from Alsace-Lorraine, born April 1860.   Carrie emigrated to the United States in 1881 and Solomon in 1888. In 1900, the family moved from Mississippi to Chicago. 

After becoming a well known literary personality in Chicago, Max went to live in New York where he became known as the King of Greenwich Village Bohemians. His writing brought him international notoriety during the Jazz Age of the 1920s.  He apparently became a beggar on the streets of Greenwich Village.

Max was married three times. His first wife was Minna Schein – they were married in 1918. The couple had one child – a son – Solbert - who was born in 1920. The couple divorced in 1938.  

Max’s second wife was Grace Finan - they were married in 1939. Grace died in 1950. 

After becoming a widower, Max married Ruth Fagin in 1952.  Max and Ruth were murdered in New York in 1954. 

"Soldiers"  by: Maxwell Bodenheim 

Illustration by French artist
Gaston Bonfils (1855 - 1946)

The smile of one face is like a fierce mermaid

Floating dead in a little pale-brown pond.

The lips of one are twisted

To a hieroglyphic of silence.

The face of another is like a shining frog.

Another face is met by a question

That digs into it like sudden claws.

Beside it is a face like a mirror

In which a stiffened child dangles. . .

 

Dead soldiers, in a sprawling crescent,

Whose faces form a gravely mocking sentence.

From Max Bodenheim’s first published collection of poetry (and play, The Master-Poisoner - with Ben Hecht ) which was entitled, “Minna and Myself” (Pagan Publishing Company, New York City, 1918).

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/59203/59203-h/59203-h.htm#MYSELF

Sources: Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/59203/59203-h/59203-h.htm

Catherine W. Reilly.- "English Poetry of the First World War: A Bibliography" (St. Martin's Press, New York, 1978) p. 394.

*For another WW1 poem by Max Bodenheim, please see Dr Connie Ruzish's website Behind their Lines 

https://behindtheirlines.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-camp-follower.html#:~:text=the%20Great%20War.-,The%20Camp%20Follower,%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%20%C2%A0%20%E2%80%94Maxwell%20Bodenheim,-The%20poem%20opens