Paging Seth Compton
Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology
was published more than a century ago.
Its enduring popularity derives from
telling truths about the human condition.
The most compelling message of all
comes from the story of Seth Compton.
Compton had loaned out his vast collection of books
as a public service to the people of Spoon River.
After his death the books were publicly auctioned off,
as a final rebuke of the work he had done.
Compton’s parting shot from the grave
might as well have been written for all of us today:
“No one knows what is good, who knows not what is evil;
And no one knows what is true, who knows not what is false.”
As the “Big Lie” continues its relentless spread,
We must strive to continue Seth Compton’s work.
