Robert E. Howard, the American author, poet, and widely known pulp magazine "fictioneer", was much impressed by Chesterton's "The Ballad of the White Horse". In a letter to his friend Tevis Clyde Smith, dated 6 August 1926 (when Howard was 20), he writes: ""There is great poetry being written now. G.K. Chesterton, for instance."" In another letter to Smith c. September 1927, after a trip to San Antonio from his home in tiny Cross Plains, Texas, he writes: ""Several books I purchased on my trip, among them G. K. Chesterton's "The Ballad of the White Horse". Ever read it? It's great. Listen:…"" which he follows by quoting several stanzas. Howard uses select excerpts from Chesterton's poem to serve as epigraphs for chapter headings in some of his stories. He frequently numbers Chesterton among his favourite poets.