Leslie, Kenneth Malcolm

  • From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: See full biography at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Leslie
  • Biography:
    • Kenneth Leslie (1892–1974) was a Canadian poet and songwriter, and an influential political activist in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. He was the founder and editor of The Protestant Digest (later The Protestant), which had a peak circulation of over 50,000 subscribers. A Christian socialist, he was given the nickname, “God’s Red Poet”.
    • Leslie was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, on October 31, 1892. His father, Robert Jamieson Leslie, was a shipping magnate and in 1905 became a member of the Quebec legislature, but drowned that year when one of his ships, The Lunenberg, sank in a storm off the Magdalen Islands (which were part of his Quebec constituency).
    • Kenneth Leslie was raised by his mother, Bertha Starratt Leslie. As a boy he learned to play the violin and piano, and loved to sing; he also wrote poetry. He “was a child prodigy, attending Dalhousie University in Halifax at age 14.
    • Leslie won the 1938 Governor General’s Award for his book, By Stubborn Stars.
    • The lyrics to Leslie’s song “Cape Breton Lullaby” (set to a different, traditional melody) have been recorded by several Canadian Celtic artists, including Catherine McKinnon, Ryan’s Fancy, and The Cottars.
    • Leslie was the subject of a 2008 VisionTV documentary, God’s Red Poet: The Life of Kenneth Leslie
  • Third Great Grandson of United Empire Loyalist: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=7691
  • Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/222381124/kenneth-leslie