Clarence Hawkes was an American author and lecturer, known for his nature stories and poetry. Born in Goshen, Massachusetts

Goshen, Massachusetts

Goshen is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,054 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town has a rural atmosphere, with only one general store, a post office, Elementary school, and town hall...

, Hawkes was physically disabled at a young age; part of one leg was amputated when he was nine, and he became blind four years later after a gun discharged in his face during a hunting accident. He was subsequently schooled at the Perkins School for the Blind

Perkins School for the Blind

Perkins School for the Blind, located in Watertown, Massachusetts, is the oldest schools for the blind in the United States. It has also been known as the Perkins Institution for the Blind.-History:...

 in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, where he befriended the young Helen Keller

Helen Keller

Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....

. In 1899, he married Bessie Bell, who illustrated his first book, and the couple moved to Hadley

Hadley, Massachusetts

Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The population was 4,793 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area around Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall along Route 9 is a major shopping destination for the surrounding...

. His prolific career saw the publication of over 100 volumes on a variety of topics; upon his death, the New York Times referred to him as the "blind poet of Hadley".

In 2009, English professor James A. Freeman published the book Clarence Hawkes: America's Blind Naturalist and the World He Lived In in celebration of Hadley's 350th year.

Selected list of works

• Pebbles and Shells: Verses (1895)
• Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver (1906)
• Black Bruin: The Biography of a Bear (1908)
• Piebald, King of Bronchos: The Biography of a Wild Horse (1912)
• Bing: The Story of a Small Dog's Love (1920)