author
Clara Frances McKee Beede
A Kansas-born American poet, she wrote lyrical, accessible verse that often turns to nature, memory, patriotism, and everyday feeling. Her books include Clear Crystals and Some Broken Twigs, both now in the public domain and still read by poetry listeners today.
2 Audiobooks
Some Broken Twigs
by Clara Frances McKee Beede
Clear Crystals
by Clara Frances McKee Beede
About the author
Born in 1875, Clara Frances McKee Beede was an American poet. Library and audiobook records identify her as Clara Frances Beede, born McKee, and date her life from 1875 to 1965.
Archival material from the University of Kansas says she was born in Beloit, Kansas, the daughter of Lewis Parker McKee and Martha E. McKee, and that she attended the University of Kansas while pursuing a liberal arts degree. The same archive notes that she married Joshua William Beede in 1899.
Beede is remembered chiefly for her poetry. Her published work includes Clear Crystals and Some Broken Twigs, along with other chapbooks such as Brown Plumes, More Brown Plumes, Sunshine and Rain, Only Pebbles, Golden Leaves, and Sail High Above. Her poems often reflect the natural world, the passage of time, home, and quiet resilience, giving them a warm, reflective tone that still suits audio listening well.