Photo courtesy of Brenda Knight
Copyright Fred W. McDarrah 1996
One of the predecessors of the Beat Generation, Helen Adam was an influence on many of the poets in the San Francisco area. Born in Glasgow, Scotland shortly after the turn of the century, Helen began composing ballads at the age of two, talking to her dolls �in beautiful language and faultless rhyme� (Knight 9). Considered a prodigy by much of Scotland for her poetry, she published her first book at the age of fourteen. The Elfin Pedler and Tales Told by Pixie Pool contained �120 ballads composed from the time she was two.�
Helen spent much of her early life in Scotland, attending Edinburgh University for two years before working as a journalist. In 1939, she moved to San Francisco with her mother, Isabella, and sister, Pat. She became an active member of the San Francisco Renaissance, often being referred to as the godmother of the movement. One of the oldest of the
poets in the movement, she worked closely with Robert
Duncan, Jess, Madeline Gleason, and William Spicer, among others. Helen was
a strong voice that encouraged many of the Beat poets as they began to
explore writing as an art form. While her continued use of the ballad form
�mystified� many of the poets more associated with the movement, her
�mystery and knowledge � excited the young wild poet scholars of [the San
Francisco Renaissance] with a special kind of mad spirit� (10).
Written
by:
Margaret Helwig
Last updated: 21 August 2005