“Eyeless in Gaza” novelist, 1936
Written after the success of Brave New World, Aldous Huxley wrote what is considered to be his most personal work. The title, Eyeless in Gaza, stems from a work by John Milton about the life of Samson who was blinded and then forced to work for the Philistines by grinding grain in a mill
… Promise was that I
Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver;
Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him
Eyeless in Gaza at the Mill with slaves …
The book by Huxley chronicles the life of Anthony Beavis in a hapha
zard fashion with no chronology. Beavis is a socialite who is disillusioned by the after effects of World War I and seeks fulfillment through love affairs and adventures. After these prove fruitless, he joins forces with a Marxist revolutionary, but when their violent efforts nearly kill them both, he embarks on yet another quest for meaning.
Poe poem that begins “Gaily bedlight,/ A gallant knight”
Much like Huxley’s novel above, some consider this poem of Edgar Allan Poe to be somewhat autobiographical. It was one of his last poems, and the quest fo
r Eldorado which has gone on for centuries was seen to be symbolic of Poe’s own quest for happiness in his own life which had eluded him.
Eldorado
Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old—
This knight so bold—
And o’er his heart a shadow—
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow—
‘Shadow,’ said he,
‘Where can it be—
This land of Eldorado?’
‘Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,’
The shade replied,—
‘If you seek for Eldorado!’
Three-time P. G. A. Championship winner
You don’t have to know much about golf to have heard about Sam Snead, the answer to this clue. He was an American professional golfer with a record win of 82 PGA tour events. While he never won the U. S. Open, he was runner-up four times.
Known for his nearly perfect swing, which has been copied by countless individuals, he was also known for his down-home manner and dress, wearing a straw hat when playing and even playing barefoot.
Born i
n Ashwood, Virginia, he got his early beginning in golf by caddying at the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. By 1944, he became the head pro at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He maintained close ties to both places throughout his life.
During his main playing years, he was known as an exceptionally long driver with accuracy to match. His controversial croquet-style of putting was eventually banned in 1968. In 1983 at age 71, he shot a round of 60 – an amazing 12 under par – at the Homestead in Virginia. He held the record for most PGA wins after age 40 until it was broken only recently by Vijay Singh.
He died in 2002 a few days short of his ninetieth birthday. His wife of fifty years had preceded him in death. He was survived by his two sons. Of note, his nephew, J. C. Snead, was also a P. G. A. Tour golfer.