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Nevada
"Written at the request of the Governor when the author was poet laureate of that state." ~Mildred Breedlove
A poem written to commemorate the 1964 centennial of the State of Nevada's admission to the Union.
A poem written to commemorate the 1964 centennial of the State of Nevada's admission to the Union.
74 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1963
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August 14, 2024
Mildred Breedlove was appointed as Nevada Poet Laureate from 1957-67 by then Gov. Grant Sawyer. She was commissioned to write a poem to commemorate the centennial of the Silver State. In researching the drama that ensued when her work was "snubbed" and suppressed, I had to find her 1963 poem for myself. This adorable little book was published in 1988, by Breedlove, and sprinkled with black watercolor painting by Lucile Bruner. Breedlove was even recognized by the Nevada Women’s History Project - so what’s up?
The poem is divided into four sections, but I suspect the last section was added by Breedlove later since it has a much different tone. She was said to have spent 3 years traveling all over the state to research material and I actually enjoyed looking up different aspects of history and geography she mentioned. It was apparent she wasn’t quite understanding her assignment, as a sanctioned Poet Laureate for the State - you would think she would know she is an ambassador, a champion, and seek ways to celebrate and commemorate the state’s centennial in a positive light. Instead, she infused quite a bit of harsh criticisms that likely surprised the governor - and everyone else.
For example, adjectives used right from the start to provide emotion to the environment: aggrieved, doom, little worth, much to deplore. More parts are dead. The second section, Pioneers & Problems, focused on the Comstock era of Virginia City and, although quite interesting because it does reflect the regional, cultural, and political roots of the state - it hardly captures, or elevates, 100 years of statehood. Section three is where Breedlove later guessed (during an interview with a Salt Lake newspaper) that she must have angered some descendants of the early businessmen and politicians mentioned in her poem. You think? She said that first senators, James Fair and William Sharon, were dishonest and bought their way into congress. Maybe they did. But was this really the time and place to dig up old dirt? In a governor’s commission?
Breedlove got so angry that her work was snubbed that she left the state altogether and went broke publishing it herself. She was quoted saying, “I do not crush easily. My backbone is made of forged steel and I spit at tigers.” She was essentially a journalist who felt the ugly truth is more interesting than romanized half truths. Good for her.
I really enjoyed this dive into Nevada history and learning all about Mildred Breedlove and the drama around her poem. Overall her Nevada poem felt uneven, harsh, and raft with half developed stories. Too much time and space was overlooked in Nevada's first 100 years, while the 1860s-80s lingered in the spotlight. In a symbolic way, her work went from boom to bust. Maybe quite fitting for Nevada after all.
The poem is divided into four sections, but I suspect the last section was added by Breedlove later since it has a much different tone. She was said to have spent 3 years traveling all over the state to research material and I actually enjoyed looking up different aspects of history and geography she mentioned. It was apparent she wasn’t quite understanding her assignment, as a sanctioned Poet Laureate for the State - you would think she would know she is an ambassador, a champion, and seek ways to celebrate and commemorate the state’s centennial in a positive light. Instead, she infused quite a bit of harsh criticisms that likely surprised the governor - and everyone else.
For example, adjectives used right from the start to provide emotion to the environment: aggrieved, doom, little worth, much to deplore. More parts are dead. The second section, Pioneers & Problems, focused on the Comstock era of Virginia City and, although quite interesting because it does reflect the regional, cultural, and political roots of the state - it hardly captures, or elevates, 100 years of statehood. Section three is where Breedlove later guessed (during an interview with a Salt Lake newspaper) that she must have angered some descendants of the early businessmen and politicians mentioned in her poem. You think? She said that first senators, James Fair and William Sharon, were dishonest and bought their way into congress. Maybe they did. But was this really the time and place to dig up old dirt? In a governor’s commission?
Breedlove got so angry that her work was snubbed that she left the state altogether and went broke publishing it herself. She was quoted saying, “I do not crush easily. My backbone is made of forged steel and I spit at tigers.” She was essentially a journalist who felt the ugly truth is more interesting than romanized half truths. Good for her.
I really enjoyed this dive into Nevada history and learning all about Mildred Breedlove and the drama around her poem. Overall her Nevada poem felt uneven, harsh, and raft with half developed stories. Too much time and space was overlooked in Nevada's first 100 years, while the 1860s-80s lingered in the spotlight. In a symbolic way, her work went from boom to bust. Maybe quite fitting for Nevada after all.
Displaying 1 of 1 review