{{short description|American journalist}}
'''Verna Arvey''' (February 16, 1910 – November 22, 1987) was an American librettist, pianist and writer who is best known for her musical collaborations with her husband William Grant Still, a musician and composer.
==Early life and education== Verna Arvey was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Bessie (Tark) and David Arvey. Her parents were Russian Jewish immigrants.<ref>[http://libinfo.uark.edu/specialcollections/findingaids/still/still1aid.html "William Grant Still and Verna Arvey Papers"], University of Arkansas.</ref> She attended local schools and the Manual Arts High School. She had started playing piano as a child. After graduating, Arvey enjoyed a brief career as a concert pianist, including performances as a soloist with Raymond Paige's CBS Network orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
Arvey met William Grant Still in 1930, when Still travelled to Los Angeles to revive his friendship with the composer Harold Bruce Forsythe. Forsythe likely asked her to read some of his piano music.<ref name=wgs>{{cite book|title=William Grant Still: A Study in Contradictions|last=Smith|first=Catherine Parsons|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-21543-6|date=2000|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/williamgrantstil0000smit}}</ref> Still tried twice to get her to perform his pieces, first ''Africa'', then ''Four Negro Dances''. The two became more acquainted, but as Forsythe and Arvey had been friends for many years (since they had both gone to Manual Arts High School), some jealousy ensued.<ref name=wgs />
==Marriage and family== Arvey married Still in 1939. She was of Russian Jewish heritage and Still was African American, but their interracial union (unusual for a high-profile couple of the era) did not appear to damage their careers. The couple had two children. They were married until Still's death in 1978.<ref name=verna>{{cite web|url=http://www.troubledisland.com/vernaarvey/|title=Verna Avery|publisher=William Grant Still Music & The Master-Player Library|access-date=2008-05-13|archive-date=2008-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131043309/http://www.troubledisland.com/vernaarvey/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Arvey's granddaughter is journalist Celeste Headlee.
==Musical career== Arvey's first collaboration with Still came in 1939 when Langston Hughes, the original librettist for his opera ''Troubled Island,'' left the country before the project was completed. Arvey wrote the lyrics for three arias. She became the librettist for his subsequent operatic work, most notably ''A Bayou Legend,'' ''A Southern Interlude,'' ''Costaso'' and ''Mota.'' <ref name=lib>{{cite web|url=http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sgo/exhibit/captions/caption9a.html|title=William Grant Still Exhibition|publisher=Duke University|date=1995|access-date=2008-05-13}}</ref>
As a writer on music, Arvey published articles for ''The New York Times'' and several music industry publications, including ''Etude'', ''Musical Courier,'' ''Opera,'' ''Concert and Symphony,'' ''Musical America,'' ''Chesterian'' (London), ''American Dancer,'' ''Ritmo'' (Madrid), ''Musical Digest'' and ''American Mercury''.
==Works== She also wrote books, including the following: *1939 monograph, ''Studies of Contemporary American Composers: William Grant Still'' *1941, ''Choreographic Music'' *1984, biography of her late husband, ''In One Lifetime'' (Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press).<ref name="verna"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://williamgrantstill.com/ William Grant Still Music]; site with comprehensive information about him and his music * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512060722/http://www.umich.edu/~afroammu/standifer/still.html Interview]. Transcript, African American Music Collection, University of Michigan * [http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Still.html "William Grant Still; Composer, Arranger, Conductor & Oboist"]. Extensive info at AfriClassical.com {{William Grant Still}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arvey, Verna}} Category:1910 births Category:1987 deaths Category:American lyricists Category:Jewish American non-fiction writers Category:Jewish American musicians Category:American opera librettists Category:Journalists from Los Angeles Category:American writers about music Category:Musicians from Los Angeles Category:Women opera librettists Category:20th-century American women writers Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Category:American women writers about music Category:Songwriters from California Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers Category:20th-century American journalists Category:20th-century American Jews Category:20th-century American songwriters Category:Dramatists and playwrights from California