Codex: Special Edition (1)

by World Codex Staff

The Planet Poetry publication encapsulates a snapshot of the era shortly after the turn of the 20th century. With the unearthing of its Waves of Wonder poetry contest, the wonder and fascination that Titanic holds have been once again brought to light. Were it not for the discovery of Planet Poetry, the ability to "time-travel" and visit its essential role in the literary past would have been missed entirely. The previously unpublished works by celebrities of its day make the doomed publication an echo of the fate of the Titanic herself, yet has now become an incredible treasure. From Albert Einstein to the very first poem, written by a young boy, Billy Kelly, traveling in third class, Planet Poetry provides a rare opportunity to peek into the diverse attitudes of the time. It is a quintessential and ancillary benefit of an ill-fated ocean voyage which unwittingly bridged the gap between Europe and America. Had it not been for the controversy that forced the publication to be shelved, perhaps the literary and academic world would have recorded history a bit differently. The editors, Robert Wolcott and Sylvia Barrett, were the impetus behind Planet Poetry. During their time abroad in Europe, as well as aboard ship, they managed to collect a few rare works and poems that were composed shortly before Titanic met her tragic fate. Also Included among the various poems is a first-hand account of how the collection was rescued from the ship shortly before she met her untimely demise. Later research into the chain of events culminated in a backstory that exacerbated the drama. It was presumed by some that Herman Holmes, who rescued the satchel of literary pieces, was the illegitimate son of H.H. Holmes. When rumors of this had spread within the social circles that Sylvia Barrett traveled among, she felt it wise to shelve Planet Poetry. Robert Wolcott, her close friend, and co-editor, sadly, was one of the many casualties during the night of April 14, 1912. Many believed that fact alone was the primary contributor convincing Sylvia Barrett to abort the literary venture.

60 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2018

Reviews

[Lex Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The discovery of the magazine Planet Poetry has yielded a treasure-trove of poems from everyday people taking part in a poetry contest, Waves of Wonder, while aboard the Titanic before its tragic end at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. Included are previously unknown works by several celebrities of the day to include George Bernard Shaw, Edgar Allan Poe and Albert Einstein. Before publication, an outcry that the lone surviving editor of the Titanic sinking (the other editor, Robert Wolcott did not survive), Sylvia Barrett, was taking undo advantage of a tragedy for personal gain. Even worse, the Titanic crew member that rescued the manuscripts from the depths of the sea, Herbert Holmes, was rumored to be the illegitimate son of H. H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer. Miss Barrett chose not to publish, and the magazine remained unknown until now.

Photographs of the original magazines pages make up the eBook, “Codex,” assimilated by World Codex Staff. While unique among any other eBooks I’ve read, this method proved hard on the eyes until I realized a double tap on the page enlarged the image and with a good set of reading glasses, I could enjoy the poetry. Of these, The Shrinking Man by E.A. Poe and If Eyes Could See by Albert Einstein were my favorites. Another interesting aspect of the book is the narrative by Herman Holmes on how he gained possession of the manuscripts and how he survived the accident. The Titanic has always fascinated me and now, Codex—Planet Poetry has given me more insight into the incident and delivered some excellent poems. I hope the World Codex Staff is working on more historical surprises such as this one; I, for one, am eagerly waiting its publication.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Codex, Special Edition (Codex SE), by World Codex Staff, is a young adult mystery topic that concerns the Titanic and the items that were apparently saved while the vessel itself was quickly heading toward its doom to the bottom of the ocean floor. It contains articles that appear as newsprints; pictures and letters by various individuals; editorial notes; and perhaps most intriguing of all are a collection of poems apparently written by the passengers of the Titanic while on the voyage; one was evidently submitted by Albert Einstein before the voyage took place. They were going to be entered into a contest, although of course that never happened. The authenticity of these works was questioned earlier (and never published) so they were not made public. Until now.
I found the cover and first few pages intriguing as well, stylized in a flashy manner grabbing the viewer’s attention. It reads like a comic book in some places, large flashy ads in others. It was well put together and does seem to lend itself credibly as it is presented. Just understand it is not a story, but rather a collection of different writings from the time. The question is, are the works authentic or not? And that may well be up to the reader to decide after careful consideration, which may take a bit of time of further digging into the facts espoused by the writings.
For those who enjoy unraveling mysteries and discovering new claims, Codex, Special Edition (Codex SE), by World Codex Staff, will entertain and inform. Highly recommended.