Stone, Idella Purnell, 1901-

American poet and editor.

Editor and publisher of the literary magazine "Palms".

Idella Purnell (1901-1982) was raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, by her father, an American dentist. In 1918, she entered the University of California at Berkeley where, in her second semester, she attended a poetry class taught by Witter Bynner. In 1921, Purnell became an associate editor of The Occident, the university's literary magazine and played an active role in the Verse Guild, a co-ed writing society.

When Idella graduated in 1922 she returned to Guadalajara, took a secretarial job at the American Consulate, and kept house for her father. When she began to feel intellectually stifled she looked around for an outlet. Her copious correspondence with her college friends helped somewhat and when she received a small pamphlet of poems from W.W. Lyman she wondered if she could produce the same sort of thing as a Christmas present for friends. This idea grew into the notion of publishing a small magazine. After considerable soul-searching and communication with friends she decided that it was possible.

In the Spring of 1923, the first issue of Palms was produced. Two former classmates of Purnell's, Barbara Burks and Vernon King served as associate editors and Witter Bynner and Agustin Basave acted as contributing editors. Each poem went to all four editors who returned their comments to Purnell, who made the final decisions on which poems were published. The first issue of Palms included poems by Basave, Bynner, David Greenhood, Jack Lyman, Harold Vinal and several others. The magazine could not pay poets for their work, so prizes were offered and like other little poetry magazines of the times, it was considered a forum for unknown or beginning poets.

There were many difficulties in getting Palms published. Purnell acted as the head editor, typist, proof-reader, salesperson, and circulation department, all the while maintaining her position at the Consulate. She had help from her father and a little from her sister, who designed the first cover. The magazine never made enough money to be profitable and circulation never reached much more than 2,000 subscriptions. Despite these problems Palms was well received by the poetry community. The taste of the editor was complimented and many of the young poets Purnell published went on to become well-, or at least better-known. Some established poets were also published in Palms, including Bynner of course, but also D.H. Lawrence who visited Purnell in Mexico, Mable Dodge Luhan, and Warren Gilbert. Lawrence also provided some cover designs for Palms and persuaded the Danish artist Kai Götzsche to do the same.

Purnell continued to produce Palms until May of 1930. During that time she married John M. Weatherwax in 1927. She had met him in Los Angeles in 1925 where she spent a summer working at the public library. After their marriage Purnell moved to Aberdeen, Washington, with her husband and Palms moved with them. Shortly after she became pregnant, Weatherwax sent her back to Guadalajara to have the baby. Georgia Bryant Weathermax was born in April of 1928 but died a month later. Her father never saw her. In 1929 Weatherwax sued for divorce from Purnell on the grounds of alleged desertion. Despite the divorce, Purnell and Weatherwax collaborated on 19 books between June 1929 and October 1930, when Weatherwax sent Purnell to New York to find a publisher for their manuscripts. On the trip Purnell was introduced to Remi Stone by her good friend Isaac Benjamin. It was love at first sight. Stone acted as the business manager for Palms for its final 8 issues, and in 1932 they were married. Purnell continued to use her maiden name professionally after both of her marriages.

While little else about Purnell's life has been published, the story of Palms did not end with the final 1930 issue. In 1932 Purnell received a letter from Elmer Nicholas, a minister in Frankton, Indiana. He inquired after the name, rights, and subscription list for Palms and whether she had disposed of them and whether he might acquire them. Purnell agreed and for the payment of the magazine's debts, Nicholas revived publication of the little poetry magazine.