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Fanomena, March 1948

Page 18

"EN GARDE, DAVID KELLER"
by Andy Lyon

During his visit here last December, David H. Keller issued the challenge to me to write an article concerning him and his works. As the challenged party, my choice of weapons will be that most deadly of all barbs, truth. I accepted the challenge with some trepidation, realizing that to portray accurately and impersonally the character of David Keller, with all its amazing complexities, constitutes a large undertaking. To capture him on paper parallels attempting to imprison a moonbeam in a jar. How successful the attempt will be revealed in the response to this piece. Have at you, Doc!
David Keller has led a life which is very little less colorful than that of some of the characters in his most fantastic creations. At the beginning of his career he served a small village in Pennsylvania as its country doctor, and served in the army in the first World War. After this, he went into psychiatrical practice, and served as superintendent of several mental hospitals over a period of many years, gaining much insight into human nature during this period. In the second World War, he served as medical professor of the Army Chaplain's School at Harvard, and retired as a lieutenant-colonel. During all these pahses of his life, Dr. Keller has remained a writer first and last.
Dr. Keller by nature is a somber person. Mrs. Keller has referred from time to time to "the Colonel's melancholy nature", and this description fits. An air of utmost gravity hangs around him, and each word he speaks is uttered with a deadly earnestness. That Keller is sincere in what he believes, right or wrong, cannot be doubted by anyone that has had more than a passing acquaintance with him, He gazes solemnly at a person he is addressing and fixes them with his eyes. In spite of this, when he laughs at something really comical, it is a wholesome, hearty sound.
The colonel prides himself on being a good judge of human nature, and certainly he is proficient in this respect, being aided invaluably by his work with people and their eccentricities. When he asks a question of a person, he impales them with his eyes, and keeps driving away until a final definite, unconditional answer is extracted. Oddly enough, I have found that many of my queries about various subjects are vaguely treated by him and receive very qualified answers. At such times, Mrs. Keller is valuable, for she, realizing, I suppose, that this is one of the Doctor's weaknesses, will tactfully steer him back to the subject. Hah! A flaw in the armor.
I am afraid that many people would regard Col. Keller as an egotist, but colse examination will show that the people that have had a chance to really know him, do not think this. What appears to be conceit at first, on careful observation will be revealed as a glorious self-confidence which he possesses and likes for other people to possess. A strong-willed, aggressive individual, he likes for his acquaintances to be the same, regardless of whether or not they agree with him. This live-and-let-live attitude does much to disprove the egotist theory which may spring to mind at casual acquaintance.
It gives the Colonel great pleasure to have his stories read by people he knows, but he is surprisingly disappointed when he discovers that a person has missed certain of his stories; in fact, he almost seems to regard it as an affront if one of his better known stories has not been read, and pities the poor individual who has missed the soul-filling awe of some particularly beautiful passage. Thrust. Dr. Keller has spent many years writing just for the pure pleasure of it rather than for financial gain, and such an attitude approaches altruism of the highest order. Parry.
No article about David Keller would be complete without mentioning his wife,

18

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"EN GARDE, DAVID KELLER" by Andy Lyon During his visit here last December, David H. Keller issued the challenge to me to write an article concerning him and his works. As the challenged party, my choice of weapons will be that most deadly of all barbs, truth. I accepted the challenge with some trepidation, realizing that to portray accurately and impersonally the character of David Keller, with all its amazing complexities, constitutes a large undertaking. To capture him on paper parallels attempting to imprison a moonbeam in a jar. How successful the attempt will be revealed in the response to this piece. Have at you, Doc! David Keller has led a life which is very little less colorful than that of some of the characters in his most fantastic creations. At the beginning of his career he served a small village in Pennsylvania as its country doctor, and served in the army in the first World War. After this, he went into psychiatrical practice, and served as superintendent of several mental hospitals over a period of many years, gaining much insight into human nature during this period. In the second World War, he served as medical professor of the Army Chaplain's School at Harvard, and retired as a lieutenant-colonel. During all these pahses of his life, Dr. Keller has remained a writer first and last. Dr. Keller by nature is a somber person. Mrs. Keller has referred from time to time to "the Colonel's melancholy nature", and this description fits. An air of utmost gravity hangs around him, and each word he speaks is uttered with a deadly earnestness. That Keller is sincere in what he believes, right or wrong, cannot be doubted by anyone that has had more than a passing acquaintance with him, He gazes solemnly at a person he is addressing and fixes them with his eyes. In spite of this, when he laughs at something really comical, it is a wholesome, hearty sound. The colonel prides himself on being a good judge of human nature, and certainly he is proficient in this respect, being aided invaluably by his work with people and their eccentricities. When he asks a question of a person, he impales them with his eyes, and keeps driving away until a final definite, unconditional answer is extracted. Oddly enough, I have found that many of my queries about various subjects are vaguely treated by him and receive very qualified answers. At such times, Mrs. Keller is valuable, for she, realizing, I suppose, that this is one of the Doctor's weaknesses, will tactfully steer him back to the subject. Hah! A flaw in the armor. I am afraid that many people would regard Col. Keller as an egotist, but colse examination will show that the people that have had a chance to really know him, do not think this. What appears to be conceit at first, on careful observation will be revealed as a glorious self-confidence which he possesses and likes for other people to possess. A strong-willed, aggressive individual, he likes for his acquaintances to be the same, regardless of whether or not they agree with him. This live-and-let-live attitude does much to disprove the egotist theory which may spring to mind at casual acquaintance. It gives the Colonel great pleasure to have his stories read by people he knows, but he is surprisingly disappointed when he discovers that a person has missed certain of his stories; in fact, he almost seems to regard it as an affront if one of his better known stories has not been read, and pities the poor individual who has missed the soul-filling awe of some particularly beautiful passage. Thrust. Dr. Keller has spent many years writing just for the pure pleasure of it rather than for financial gain, and such an attitude approaches altruism of the highest order. Parry. No article about David Keller would be complete without mentioning his wife, 18