The Growing Must Come From God: Poems and Watercolors by Dr. Ruth Hall Hodges

The Growing Must Come From God is a celebration of the creative genius of art educator, painter and poet, Dr. Ruth Hall Hodges. Originally a hand-crafted book of poems and watercolors, the book was created by Dr. Hodges (then Miss Ruth Hall) as a gift to her brother, Dr. Frederick Douglass Hall in recognition of his journey abroad during the 1920s. Untitled when it was given to her brother, its present title is taken from one of the cherished poems in this collection of forty-one works that are presented with sixteen miniature watercolor renderings created by Dr. Hodges. The collection is dedicated anew to the author’s granddaughter and namesake Ruth-Ercile L. Hodges whose love of poetry inspired her grandmother to search for this well-worn volume which had lain dormant many years in a family cedar chest. The author’s sons Virgil Hall Hodges and David Julian Hodges, are publishing The Growing Must Come From God as a lasting impression and tribute to their mother’s passion and dedication to art and literary expression.