Jim Metcalf

Black and white portrait of Jim Metcalf from April 1975, as he takes a call at his desk, with a white phone receiver to his left ear with the coiled phone cable extending to his right, beyond the edge of the frame. His dark, greying hair is swept back from his face, which smiles only with his eyes, while his broad moustache sweeps the edge of the phone receiver. A dark tie boldly splits his light colored suit, which sports the broad lapel of the era. An unmarked wood box of writing accoutrements, with sloping trapezoidal sides sits in front of him, as he focuses his gaze to his left, off into the distance.
Jim Metcalf, April 1975

Journalist, Poet, Father

Published Works

Collected Poems

A collection of the four titles above was published in 1999 by Pelican Publishing, and can be found here. Jim Metcalf Collected Poems

Though the four original works are out of print, used copies can be still be found. These volumes were published in fine, hardcover format, and the poems were accompanied by beautiful original photography. They are worth seeking out.

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Images

A mid 1970s WWL-TV studio television monitor, cropped so close that the borders of the device are slightly obscured. On the curved CRT monitor of the device, Jim Metcalf sits poised in the left half of the shot, in front of a verdant green screen, allowing room on the right side for the title of his popular television program 'A Sunday Journal' to float next to him in a closely spaced font with exaggerated serifs. Jim has a similarly well-groomed, serious but kind-eyed demeanor. He is visible from the waist up, in a charcoal colored suit, again with the wide lapels of the era, and a broad, burgundy tie with white spots against a pewter blue shirt.
Jim on his program "A Sunday Journal"—perhaps about to greet the audience with the signature phrase: "Please to begin." – circa 1975
A grainy, black and white portrait of Jim Metcalf from 1974. He is seated at a desk, though very little of it is in frame. He wears lightly tinted, aviator frame reading glasses, and his greying black hair is looser and more care-free than his swept back style from the TV studio. He is silently reading from his first published work of poety, 'Jim Metcalf's Journal' with the front and back covers facing toward the camera. The front cover shows a warmly lit sunset from the south shore of Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans. The shoreline, along with a lone figure on the shore and a sailboat in the distance, is darkened by the vivid exposure of the sun, leaving only a suggestion of the foreground.
Jim thumbing through the pages of his first published work of poetry, "Jim Metcalf's Journal" – circa 1974
The front jacket cover of Jim's first book, 'Jim Metcalf's Journal' as captured in a close cropped photo. The front cover shows a warmly lit sunset from the south shore of Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans. The shoreline, along with a lone figure on the shore and a sailboat in the distance, is darkened by the vivid exposure of the sun, leaving only a suggestion of the foreground. The title is featured at the top, in a font with very slight serifs and close kerning. The word 'JOURNAL' is in all-caps.
Jim's first book, "Jim Metcalf's Journal" – 1974
The front jacket cover of Jim's second book, 'In Some Quiet Place'. The front cover shows a soft, leaf strewn shoreline in the left foreground, with a few small oak trees. The body of water beyond the shore is placid and green, with a very light fog hanging in the early morning air. In the background across the water is another shoreline, with more scrubby oaks; their gnarled branches are mirrored in reverse on the surface of the water. The title is featured at the top, in the same font with very slight serifs and close kerning. The full title is capitalized, while Jim's name at the bottom is in normal casing.
Jim's second book, "In Some Quiet Place" – 1975
The front jacket cover of Jim's third book, 'Please To Begin'. The front cover shows a textured, cloudy sunset, rich with oranges and purples. The sky is supported by an obscured earth that gently slopes upward on the left side and is populated by a few scruffy trees on the right. Little else is visible, leaving the brilliance of the heavens to speak. The title is featured at the top, in the same font with very slight serifs and close kerning. The full title is capitalized, while Jim's name at the bottom is in normal casing.
Jim's third book, "Please To Begin" – 1976
The front jacket cover of Jim's fourth book, 'Follow Another Star', published posthumously. The front cover shows a textured, cloudy sunset, rich with oranges and purples. The sky is supported by an obscured earth that gently slopes upward on the left side and is populated by a few scruffy trees on the right. Little else is visible, leaving the brilliance of the heavens to speak. The title is featured at the top, in the same font with very slight serifs and close kerning. The full title is capitalized, while Jim's name at the bottom is in normal casing.
Jim's fourth book, "Follow Another Star" – 1979 (posthumous)

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More

Videos

A segment from "A Sunday Journal" on WWL-TV, featuring Jim's poem "New Orleans" from his book "Jim Metcalf's Journal" – circa 1973
Jim Metcalf reporting from Biloxi on the destruction of Hurricane Camille – 1969

Links

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Contact

This site is very new, and much more content is coming in the near future. It is maintained by David Metcalf, one of Jim's grandchildren.

If you have any memories or anecdotes of Jim Metcalf that you would like to share, please contact david at pleasetobegin dot com.

Of special interest are photos, videos, and news clippings. But even if Jim just touched your life, please reach out!

Roadmap

These are some of the ideas planned for this site. Want to see something here? See the address above.

Finally, some housekeeping. I'm building this in public—why not pull back the curtain?

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