Trust the Heart for Wisdom

TRUST THE HEART FOR WISDOM The Lost Works of Texas Poet Wilma Davis Valentine, 1889–1964. (284 pages, softcover, and Ebook) Wilma Davis Valentine (1889 ¬ 1964) was an accomplished poet, painter, and musician in Texas. When she died, her manuscripts disappeared and were considered lost until 2019 when, miraculously, these written treasures were found. Author Zilla Adams (Wilma's eldest granddaughter), vowed to restore her grandmother's rightful place in Texas literary history. She spent several years restoring these important works, which were faded, torn, and damaged so much by age and humidity that it was sometimes necessary to literally piece pages together to complete a poem or story. The book include 73 general verses, 82 light verses, 5 epic sonnets, a short story, an autobiography, and a biographical timeline.

In her day, Wilma Davis Valentine (born 1889) was considered by her peers to be a modern Renaissance woman. She was a multi-talented artist, musician and writer, with her oil paintings exhibited in Texas fine arts museums, including the Laguna Gloria Art Museum and the Elisabet Ney Art Museum in Austin. She was also an accomplished guitarist and a classical pianist. Her poetry won several prizes from the Texas State Poetry Society, and many were included in 1976 in a compilation book published by the Austin Poetry Society. The sonnet, the most difficult to write, was her forte. Unfortunately, when she died, her manuscripts disappeared and were considered lost until 2019 when, miraculously, these written treasures were found. Her granddaughter, Leslie Anne Valentine discovered three tattered boxes of notebooks and journals stored in a garage, and sent them to Zilla Adams (Wilma's eldest granddaughter), who immediately resolved to save and restore these important works which were faded, torn, and damaged so much by age and humidity that it was sometimes necessary to literally piece pages together to complete a poem or story. The restored works include 73 general verses, 82 light verses, 5 epic sonnets, a short story, an autobiography, and a biographical timeline. They are reproduced in their entirety in this collection. After four years of typing and editing, Zilla Adams has published TRUST THE HEART FOR WISDOM: The Lost Works of Texas Poet Wilma Davis Valentine, 1889-1964. With heartfelt gratitude, Zilla revived Wilma's treasures and her memory, and restored her rightful place in Texas literary history.

ARTIST'S BIO Wilma Davis Valentine was born in Thornton, Texas, in 1889. Her father, Henry Phillip Davis, was a university professor and the owner of The Thornton Institute. He was also a Baptist minister and became a legislator in the Texas House of Representatives. Wilma studied fine art at Baylor University, and in 1910 she married her childhood sweetheart, John Leslie Valentine, who had been the secretary to Texas Congressman Judge Lively, in Washington, DC. They had a daughter, Marjorie in 1913 and a son, James Phillip (Jimmy) in 1916. Wilma was multi-talented, with her oil paintings exhibited in the Laguna Gloria Fine Art Museum, and the Elisabet Ney Art Museum, both in Austin. She was also an accomplished guitarist and classical pianist. Her poems and sonnets won prizes at the Texas Poetry Society and the Austin Poetry Society, who published her poems in a 1976 compilation book. In 1937, Wilma, as the owner, opened the first commercial fine art gallery in Austin, Texas: The Valentine Gallery. She sold works of many notable artists there, including her own paintings, and those of other female artists. Wilma passed away on January 16, 1964, and all her manuscripts and poetry disappeared. They had been the family's treasure, and were lost for decades until they were discovered 2019. With this book, author Zilla Adams, Wilma's granddaughter, has restored Wilma's life's work of poems and stories, thus establishing her rightful place in Texas literary history.