author

Perry Honce McGee

A little-known early 20th-century poet, he wrote with warmth, devotion, and a strong sense of purpose. His surviving book blends love poems to his wife with reflections on Black life, community, and hope.

1 Audiobook

My Valued Ruby: Poems

My Valued Ruby: Poems

by Perry Honce McGee

About the author

Perry Honce McGee is known for My Valued Ruby: Poems, a collection published in 1920. The book appears to be the main surviving work connected with his name, and it presents him as a poet writing from both personal feeling and a wider social commitment.

In the dedication, McGee addresses the book to his race, which suggests that he saw poetry as more than private expression. The collection includes poems to his wife, Ruby Montrose McGee, alongside pieces that touch on love, identity, and the experiences of Black Americans in his time.

Very little confirmed biographical information about McGee is easy to verify from widely available sources today. What stands out most clearly is the voice in his poetry: affectionate, earnest, and hopeful, with a desire to honor family and speak to the life of his community.