The Highwayman

Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 5/14/2003
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10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, May 14, 2003
I've had this lovely illustrated version of Noyes' famous poem for quite some time; I valued the illustrations but hadn't paid attention to the artist's name. Then, having stumbled across something else illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak, I started looking for more - and was delighted (if a bit embarrassed) to realize that I'd had one of his books in my possession for years.

"The Highwayman," which I first heard in high school English class as an illustration of metaphor ("The road was a ribbon of moonlight"), is a wildly romantic tale of love and death - OK, it's on the melodramatic side, but I like that in a poem - and the illustrations here add to that; they're all in shades of charcoal, with touches of red here and there (ribbons, red coats, blood...). The book's out of print and I'm not letting go of my copy just yet, but if you can find one it's worth looking at.

The poem's been put to music several times as well. The first version I remember was done by a group whose name I can't recall - may have been "The Highwaymen" but if so it's not the more recent group of that name; this was in the '60s or early '70s. [Update, 2/17/2019: I found it! A college trio called The 3D's did an album based on poems, including this one.] Phil Ochs did the song back then as well, though his version isn't my favorite. More recently, Loreena McKennit had a version of the poem on her album "Book of Secrets". The poem even has its own TV Tropes page!

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, August 5, 2003
Wahoo! I've just got a release copy of this lovely book - so I'm offering it for a bookray. If interested, please PM me, and indicate whether you can mail internationally or not. [The book's a very quick read - it's just the text of the poem, after all. I should warn you that you might fall in love with the illustrations, as I did, and start looking for a copy of your own!]

Since the book's hard to find, I'll ask that whoever gets it last offers it up for a new ray or for trade. [If there are no takers, then release at will!]

Participants so far [in mailing order]:

Guinneth (NH)
Red644 (VA)
alrescate (MO)
OzChick (Australia)
bookhogger (Nova Scotia)
JDT (CA)
caligula03 (CA)
Deerskin (UK) [moved by request]
WickedWordz (FL) [moved by request]

Journal Entry 3 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, August 9, 2003
Controlled release:

I sent this off to Guinneth in NH today, to kick off the bookray. Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 4 by Guinneth from Manchester, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Caught this yesterday - it's safe & sound. :)
You're right Gory, the illustrations are to die for! Very beautiful. I well remember this poem from the 'Tragedy and Fate' section (my personal favorite) of my mother's copy of Best Loved Story-Poems. I read those endlessly as a child, so any time I come across this (along with Poe's Annabel Lee and Walter De La Mare's The Listeners), it brings back wonderful memories of being curled up on the couch on a snowy day with a mug of hot chocolate and a cat. Thanks so much for sharing this book!

Journal Entry 5 by Guinneth from Manchester, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Mailing off to Red644, hopefully today. Safe journey, Highwayman!

Journal Entry 6 by Red644 from Fairfax, Virginia USA on Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Caught this in the afternoon mail, safe and snug:) Guinneth, even though it's summer, I'm going to borrow your childhood memory, grab a cat, a mug of camomille tea and snuggle down for a quick read:)

Red644

Journal Entry 7 by alrescate from Strafford, Missouri USA on Sunday, September 21, 2003
Visions of SSM! I looked out my window yesterday and saw a bag hanging from my mailbox. I skipped out to find it contained a brown envelope...I knew it had to be a book! It was, and what a lovely one this was! Amazing though it may be I have never read this poem. I will have to admit this will not become my favorite poem but I did enjoy it for what it is. What I love are Mikolaycak's illustrations for the poem. Gorgeous!

Journal Entry 8 by alrescate from Strafford, Missouri USA on Monday, September 29, 2003
This is on the way to Australia! I hope it doesn't take too long to get there. (I'd say I hope it rides on a swift horse but since it is probably going by boat I'd have to say 'swims on a swift current' & I don't think that sounds as good!) ;-}

Journal Entry 9 by OzChick from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Just received this book in the mail!! Got it the day before I moved house!!! Has a quick look through it while waiting for the removalists to arrive, but will have a better look through it this weekend and then send it on!!!
From my initial wander through it...it looks great!

Journal Entry 10 by OzChick from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Monday, December 8, 2003
Enjoyed this book immensely, very easy to become lost in the pictures and words as they all gallop along! I PM'ed Deerskin a few weeks ago for an address, but have not heard, so will PM bookhogger for an address so this book can keep moving along!

Journal Entry 11 by OzChick from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Sent this book off to Bookhoggor on Tuesday! So coming your way soon - enjoy!

Journal Entry 12 by bookhogger from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, December 31, 2003
just arrived in the mail - look forward to spending part of tomorrow, browsing through

Journal Entry 13 by bookhogger at -- Controlled Release in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada on Saturday, January 24, 2004
Released on Saturday, January 24, 2004 at A fellow bookcrosser in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.

I just sent this one off to JDT - the person before her wanted to be skipped.
Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 14 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Tuesday, February 3, 2004
A nice surprise today in the mail! I had forgotten about this bookray.
I remember this poem, I think from childhood, probably 6th,7th,8th grade? - and the lines seemed so familiar.
What amazes me though is the choice of this poem maybe 40-50 years ago for memorization and recitation by children - with its rather adult themes, violent vocabulary. In some ways children today seem exposed to way too much; in other ways we seem overprotective...
The illustrations are wonderful, and I appreciate being introduced to this illustrator.
Thanks!
I'll send on soon to caligula03.

Journal Entry 15 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Thursday, February 12, 2004
Oooh! The book arrived today. The illustrations are beautiful! The Highway Man is my father in law's FAVORITE poem. It's also a great ballad sung by Lorena McKennet. I will have to show this book to my father in law when my in laws come to visit later this month. Then I'll send it along to WickedWordz. :)

Journal Entry 16 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Thursday, February 12, 2004
Update:

GoryDetails tells me that Deerskin also wants to read the book. I will send the book to her and she will then send the book to WickedWordz.

So the new order:
Deerskin -- UK International
WickedWordz -- FL -- USA Only

Journal Entry 17 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Tuesday, April 6, 2004
The Highway Man is my father in law's favorite poem and I have heard him (and my husband) recite the poem numerous times. We also own a copy each of the Lorena McKennit CD which has the poem (more or less) put to music but I really enjoyed seeing it in print and seeing how the words play together to form the story.

Journal Entry 18 by caligula03 at on Friday, April 9, 2004
Release planned for Saturday, April 10, 2004 at Deerskin in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Mailing to Deerskin tomorrow.

Journal Entry 19 by Deerskin from Aberystwyth, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, April 15, 2004
Recieved today - thanks!

Journal Entry 20 by Deerskin from Aberystwyth, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, April 29, 2004
Gorgeous! I had never encountered this poem before, it was the title that caught my attention and made me join the ring. I loved it! The illustrations are fantastic too, and I will be keeping my eyes open for more by both poet and illustrator in the future. Thank you, GoryDetails, for sharing this. It will be on it's way soon.

Journal Entry 21 by WickedWordz from Miami, Florida USA on Thursday, August 26, 2004
I first read this poem in eight grade in school. I so love this poem, that I remember when we were reading and analyzing it. Of course, this is the first time I've ever been able to see pictures of the tragic couple. It is my all time FAVORITE poem. When I opened the package I read it twice. Because this is such a wonderful piece of work, I'd like to continue the ray. Of course, I have to memorize it first :) Thank you so much for starting this ray GoryDetails. This poem should be experienced worldwide, and you've made that possible. Good job! :) If I could give it 20+ stars, I would!

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