Coates, Walter J[ohn]

   (1880–1941)

   Amateur journalist in North Montpelier, Vt., who issued the little magazine Driftwind,which contained much poetry by HPL as well as “The Materialist Today” (initially a letter to Coates, c. May 1926; published in Driftwindfor October 1926 and also as a separate brochure [Driftwind Press, 1926] in fifteen copies). Coates contributed a lengthy essay on Vermont poetry to W.Paul Cook’s Recluse (1927). He was the author and editor of many volumes of poetry, including Mood Songs: Voices within Myself (Hartford, Vt.: Solitarian Press, 1921), Vermont in Heart and Song (editor) (North Montpelier, Vt., 1926), Vermont Verse: An Anthology (editor) (Brattleboro, Vt.: Stephen Daye Press, 1931), Harvest: A Sheaf of Poems from Drift wind (editor) (North Montpelier, Vt.: Driftwind Press, 1933). He corresponded sporadically with HPL to the end of the latter’s life, and wrote an obituary of HPL for Driftwind, April 1937.