Hughes Mearns

Hughes Mearns (1875–1965) was an American educator and writer remembered chiefly for popularizing the poem “Antigonish,” also known as “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There.” He worked in education and wrote on teaching and creativity, and his name is often associated with the poem’s enduring place in popular culture. “Antigonish” first appeared in print in the late 19th century and later circulated widely in anthologies and recitations, helping fix its eerie, playful lines in the public imagination. Mearns’s broader career combined literary interests with educational work, and he remains a minor but notable figure in American letters.