Eldred Kurtz Means (March 11, 1878 – February 19, 1957) was an American Methodist Episcopal clergyman, famed public speaker, and author. A white man, he wrote fictional stories about African/African American characters who lived in an area of Louisiana which he named Tickfall. He described the characters in the most grotesque, comical and sensational terms. His magazine stories were compiled into books. He was a constant and prolific contributor to Frank A. Munsey's pulp magazines such as All-Story Weekly, Argosy and its predecessors. His use of black stereotypes, minstrel show motifs, Jim Crow characters, fantastical mimicry and impressionism of Negro dialect made him a popular author with a niche of white audiences; but the implicit racist message has not aged well.
Early life Means was born in Taylor County, Kentucky, the son of Virginia (née Lively) Means and George Hamilton Means. He married Ella Q. Crebbin in Monroe, Louisiana.
Ministry Means received a Doctor of Divinity, Centenary College of Louisiana.
He had a far flung clerical career, involving more than a dozen posts: 1899 Ordained ministry Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1899–1900, Pastor Ghent, Kentucky 1901, Erlanger 1902, Hodgenville 1903–1905, Louisiana Avenue Church, New Orleans 1905–1909, Baton Rouge 1909–1913, Minden 1913–1915, Shreveport 1915–1917, Arcadia 1917–1921, Monroe 1922–1925, Galloway Memorial Church, Jackson, MississippiSouvenir: One Hundred Years of Methodism in Jackson, Mississippi, 1836–1936. (1936). United States: (n.p.). 1925–1929, Court St. Church, Lynchburg, Virginia 1929–1933 Main Street Methodist Episcopal Church South, Danville, Virginia 1933–1937, Travis Street Church, Sherman, Texas 1937–1939, First Church, Helena, Arkansas 1939–1944, Central Methodist Church, Rogers, Arkansas
He was a Democrat.
Literary work Over more than a half century, he wrote scores of short stories for pulp fiction magazines. A fairly complete listing of his published stories appears in the following reference. In 1924, Irvin S. Cobb, an American humorist, numbered Means’s “darky stories” among his favorites. In the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he wrote: "[Means] is at home in Jackson, Miss. ... and pastor of Galloway Memorial Church M.E., South. ... He is a zealous clergyman, a gifted speaker, and a fluent writer, but being, as befits a clergyman, a truthful man also, Mr. Means would lay no claim to great personal beauty."
Means defended his use of dialect, persons and places as being true-to-type with verisimilitude to a passing and important lifestyle and culture. He claimed a love for the people the musicality and rhythm of their language, and professed a linguist's and an anthropologist's intent to preserve transitory culture and cultural artifacts which were in imminent danger of extirpation, as the shadow of slavery waned in the distance.
The publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons promoted him as part of its stable of authors highlighting white supremacy over other races.New York Times Book Review and Magazine, February 6, 1921, p. 25. Chronicling America; New York Tribune, February 5, 1921, p. 9. Chronicling America. See
In 1918, an Ebony Film Corporation advertisement teased a coming film based on one of his Tickfall Tales titled Good Luck in Old Clothes.Film Card, Ebony Film Corporation General Film Company (1918) The film was producedGood Luck in Old Clothes at IMDb. and promoted as exemplifying "wholesome real droll Negro humor."Placard, "An Ebony Comedy Hit: Good Luck in Old Clothes" General Film Company
In addition to his short stories, he had several books published. Edward Winsor Kemble well known for his racist caricatures illustrated several of his books.Works by E.W. Kemble at Project Gutenberg. His books were reviewed in several newspapers.
Reception Reviews of his works at the time were mixed, with the New York Tribune giving a favorable report. In contrast, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote: “There are, among the better writers of today, three who can write negro stories with humor and understanding, and E.K. Means is not one of them”.“The ‘Unhumorous’ Negro,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 12, 1921, p. 11. Several of his books, having gone out of copyright, have been reproduced by various republishers.
Means touted 'lack of titles' on three of his books was not universally welcomed. A New York Times reviewer castigated the third in the series: "The crass lack of good taste, and worse than crass conceit shown by the title of this volume, are not-redeemed by any remarkable quality in its content."Review: Further E. K. Means: Is This a Title? It Is Not. It Is the Name of a Writer of Negro Stories, Who Has Made Himself So Completely the Writer of Negro Stories That Like the First or Second Book. this Third Book Needs No Title (February 8, 1921) New York Times quoted in Drew (2015) page 93.
His story "At the End of the Rope" contains the earliest known usage of the saying: If it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all.See 1927 January, Munsey’s Magazine, Volume 89, Number 4, At the End of the Rope by E. K. Means, Short Story Series: Tickfall, Start Page 645, Quote Page 649, New York: The Frank A. Munsey Company.See 1928 December, Munsey’s Magazine, Volume 95, Number 3, One Kind Deed by E. K. Means, Short Story Series: Tickfall, Start Page 382, Quote Page 384, Column 1, New York: The Frank A. Munsey Company.
He was one of the earliest recognized users of the word "doodlebug".
Works (in chronological order)
Means, E.K.; Kemble, Edward Winsor, Illustrator. (1918) E. K. Means: Is This a Title? It Is Not. It Is the Name of a Writer of Negro Stories, Who Has Made Himself So Completely the Writer of Negro Stories That His Book Needs No Title New York, London: The Knickerbocker Press, G. P. Putnam's Sons Means, E.K.; Kemble, Edward Winsor, Illustrator. (1919) More E. K. Means: Is This a Title? It Is Not. It Is the Name of a Writer of Negro Stories, Who Has Made Himself So Completely the Writer of Negro Stories That His Second Book Needs No Title New York, London: The Knickerbocker Press, G. P. Putnam's SonsMeans, E.K.; Kemble, Edward Winsor, Illustrator. (1919) More E. K. Means: Is This a Title? It Is Not. It Is the Name of a Writer of Negro Stories, Who Has Made Himself So Completely the Writer of Negro Stories That His Second Book Needs No Title New York, London: The Knickerbocker Press, G. P. Putnam's Sons ebook via Project Gutenberg Means, E.K.; Kemble, Edward Winsor, Illustrator. (1920) Is This a Title? It Is Not. It Is the Name of a Writer of Negro Stories, Who Has Made Himself So Completely the Writer of Negro Stories That This Third Book, Like the First and Second, Needs No Title New York, London: The Knickerbocker Press, G. P. Putnam's SonsMeans, E.K.; Kemble, Edward Winsor, Illustrator. (1920) Further E. K. Means: Is This a Title? It Is Not. It Is the Name of a Writer of Negro Stories, Who Has Made Himself So Completely the Writer of Negro Stories That Like the First or Second Book. this Third Book Needs No Title New York, London: The Knickerbocker Press, G. P. Putnam's Sons ebook via Project Gutenberg Kurtz's Chapter 3 read in audio. at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks “At the End of the Rope” by E. K. Means, Munsey's Magazine, New York (1927)
Published in the year of his death. Writings on American History. United States: KTO Press, 1957.
See also All-Negro Comics Cultural appropriation Helen Bannerman Tickfaw, Louisiana
References Citations
Bibliography
Further reading
External links at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks) Eldred Kurtz Means at IMDb.