Anderson, Wendell B.

Wendell B. Anderson was born January 10, 1920, in Sandpoint, ID. He came to Taos, New Mexico in 1949 to visit his friend, Judson Crews, and ended up staying for 10 years, writing and publishing poetry.

After two failed marriages, a failed love affair, and a nervous breakdown, Wendell took a job at Saint Vincent's Hospital in Santa Fe, NM as an orderly, then trained to become a licensed practical nurse. It was here, in 1965, that he met Emily Ferry, a native of Boston, MA, who was working as a registered nurse. They married six months after meeting, in Taos at the home of Judson Crews and his wife, Mildred Tolbert.

The Andersons stayed in the New Mexico for approximately six months, living in Albuquerque and Española. Then, they moved to the East Coast where they worked together as creative writing teachers and nurse in a school for gifted children with personality disorders. It was at this time that Emily began writing poetry of her own. Although she was 40 years old when she began writing poetry, her poems were published without delay. Wendell and Emily worked at the school for 2 years, and then both enrolled for classes at Franklin Pierce College. Wendell received his BA in English, Emily studied Spanish. After the winter of 1968-69, the Andersons moved back to the Southwest, residing in El Paso, Socorro, Alamogordo, and La Luz (near Alamogordo), NM. Wendell worked as a caseworker for a welfare office, and Emily stayed home writing poetry. Emily was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In 1974, they moved to Las Cruces to be closer to the medical care that she needed. Emily continued writing poetry until her hands could no longer write, and then, Wendell took dictation of her poems until she died, on February 21, 1990 at the age of 63. Following his wife's death, Wendell began focusing on his own writings, as well as working to get more of Emily's poems published. Wendell Anderson died in Albuquerque on August 15, 2005.

From the guide to the Wendell B. Anderson and Emily F. Anderson Papers, 1944-1998, 1969-1991, (Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico.)