May 24, 2021
It’s not often that someone can recite the verses of Walt Whitman, then belt out the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps—Semper Fedelis! (Always Faithful). But that’s Evelyn Kandel, the Poet Laureate of Nassau County, who enlisted in the Marines 70 years ago right out of high school on the whimsical advice of an aunt who told her, “Why not join the armed services and see the world?” In today’s conversation with host Ron Roel, Evelyn talks about how she became one of the few, the proud-- actually very few — women Marines during the Korean War. She’ll tell what it was like to be one of these pioneering women as she worked in public relations and recruiting, travelling across the West Coast to speak to young college women about officer training. Afterward, Evelyn went to college on the G. I. bill, and continued to pursue her passion in painting, sculpture and teaching. Evelyn will talk about how she evolved through her art as a poet, expanding on how she views her craft, how she finds inspiration (and joy) in her work, and her philosophy of teaching aspiring adult poets. And of course, Evelyn will recite some of her favorite poems from four published books and anthologies, reflecting on various periods of her life, from childhood to the pandemic—and her continuing proud association with today’s Marine Corps. She was recently honored as a Marine veteran by “Heroes Among Us,” an organization helping veterans in need started by “Gold Star Mothers.”