Reflections on a Freighter

A memoir by a widower, former English teacher, poet, and lyricist written while on a 28-day freighter cruise taken 9 months after the sudden death of his wife of 44 years. Filled with humor and literary allusions, expect the unexpected. Heart-felt and uplifting.

Kilborne takes you on a journey from his childhood in New York City through adventures, disappointments, delights and death. Lovers of literature will revel in the allusions to Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and E.B. White. And of course there's some of Kilborne's own poetry as well, irreverent and poignant.

William S. Kilborne has been writing poetry, mostly light verse, ever since he was an editor of The Yale Record. He has had over fifty song lyrics published in musicals; he believes that Stephen Sondheim is our greatest living poet. He has been most influenced by Emily Dickenson, Robert Frost, Ogden Nash, Edna St. Vincent Millay, A.E. Houseman, and Edwin Arlington Robinson. No living poets make this list. Kilborne has also made his mark as a playwright: eight of his plays have been published by houses like Samuel French, Pioneer Drama Service, Norman Maine Press and The Players Press. He also has a Master's Degree from NYU. His text, The Writing Guide, has sold over 2000 copies; he has been a guest columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; he has published many articles on education and General Semantics, in "little" magazines. He has been the president of the Yale Debating Society (never lost a debate); a cook in the Hawaiian National Guard; an educator (department chair and instructor, headmaster) in colleges and prep schools; a professional writer (Bread Loaf Writers' Conference), (San Francisco Writers' Conference, 2011: non-fiction finalist and poetry runner-up); a Dallas Cowboys' fan; a lover of French cuisine and English Bulldogs, a widower, an atheist, and a ping-pong hustler.