Helen Steiner Rice Friend

Reading Room

As readers of my memoir An Open Book know, I grew up in Lorain, Ohio, a classic rust-belt steeltown on the shores of Lake Erie. The city’s motto during my childhood was “Industrial Empire in Ohio’s Vacationland.” I’m not making this up.

Of course, Lake Erie was polluted for most of my adolescence and one was advised not to eat fish caught in its waters. The various local industries—American Shipbuilding, Thew Shovel, National Tube, and the Ford Assembly Plant—gradually all shut down, moved away, or reduced their work force to a minumum. In my youth, National Tube—a division of US Steel—employed 13,000 people, including my father. I worked there in the summer. Today it is owned by someone else and most of the buildings are rusting away.

I think about Lorain just now because it is during summer that I tend to visit most often. Nearly all my family is still there or in nearby towns. I’ll naturally be going to a niece’s wedding in mid August. I certainly love to spend time with my mother, who is sadly now resident in a nursing home, but I do grow restive after a few days. For most of my youth, I longed to leave Lorain and become part of The Great World.

Little did I know, however, that Lorain County was a place of literary greatness. Let me count the ways.

Most notably, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison is from Lorain, and set The Bluest Eye in a fictionalized version of the city. The “quiet room” at the public library is now something of a shrine in her honor.

Ayn Rand’s husband, Frank O’Connor, as well as the dedicatee of Atlas Shrugged, grew up in Lorain. I’ve always thought the steel mill scenes in that novel must have been based on National Tube.

The much admired poet Bruce Weigl—a Lannan fellowship winner—grew up in Lorain, named one of his poetry collections Sweet Lorain, and now, after years elsewhere, has been teaching at Lorain County Community College.

Helen Steiner Rice—one of the most famous of all inspirational greeting-card poets—lived in Lorain. When I last looked, there were an astonishing number of books by her in the public library.

Johanna Hurwitz, the well-known children’s author, wrote a novel called “The Rabbi’s Girls.” It is based, in part, on her mother’s life in Lorain.

Admiral Ernest J.

What A JUNGLE life is..: Another Pome

I was b,11,21,42 in Walton,N.Y. I'm Old,Tried,,and a little lonely at times. As my children have gone off on there own, as should be. Two have passed on a long with thier Dad. I've haved 10 childerns, 9Grand. 4Grate. That I hardly ever see much of. I had a stroke in 03 I also have RA, Rheumatoid Arthnitis and Diabetes, need knee and shoulder replacements. Guess that's just life... And remenber when Life give's you Lemons, make Lemonade! The Best that you can. It's not bad...And sometimes it's down right good.

The poems and prayers of Helen Steiner Rice

Encouraging Verse for Friends

Friend to Friend

A Collection of Joy

A Collection of Love Gifts