Nevada has been a long-time destination for casino gamers, outdoors enthusiast, and people seeking the glitz and glamor of the Las Vegas Strip. Along with the appeal of its entertainment scene, Nevada has produced its fair share of notable authors, inspired by the state's history and desert landscapes. So, vacationers with a mind for literary culture can explore the many avenues of the state's written works.
Literary greats Mark Twain and Walter Van Tilbury Clark both called Nevada home at one time, and have writings that were inspired by their respective stays in the state. A number of literary works on the affect of the atomic era on Nevada during this period can also be found in the region's legacy of written works. Another influential genre of Nevadan literature is cowboy poetry, which has also left a mark on the state's literary history.
Famous Writers
Robert Laxalt is a major name in Nevada's literary history. The author of Sweet Promised Land, his works detailed the Basque history and historical times of the early settlement of Nevada, with an emphasis on ranching. Laxalt also founded the University of Nevada Press and the Reynolds School of Journalism. In his honor, the Nevada Humanities Council presents the Books and Authors Festival, showcasing a variety of award winning authors and special events each May.
Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, lived in Nevada during the mid-1800s, when he joined his brother, who had been appointed secretary to the territorial governor. He and his brother traveled for more than two weeks by stagecoach across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. This journey became the basis of the book Roughing It. Clemens' travels ended in Virginia City, Nevada, where he decided to try mining. After his attempt at mining failed, Clemens went to work for a Virginia City newspaper, the Territorial Enterprise. In 1863, he published a humorous travel journal LETTER FROM CARSON - re: Joe Goodman; party at Gov. Johnson's; music with "Mark Twain."
Walter Van Tilbury Clark was born in 1909, and his family moved to Reno eight years later when his father became the president of the University of Nevada, where Clark later received his baccalaureate and master's degrees. His childhood in the West provided a background for his short stories Hook, The Wind and Snow of Winter, and The Buck in the Hills. These stories focused on the natural environment of the West. Clark published his first novel, The Ox-Bow Incident, in 1940. The novel explores the effects of the murder of a local rancher on dynamics of a Western settlement, as the news spreads through the town. Clark's writing differs from the traditional "Wild West," in that he explores the transition of settlements from wild majority male settlements to family-oriented communities.
Nuclear Nevada
Another great section of Nevada literature can be categorized as'Nuclear Nevada'. This genre can be divided into two segments, with the first being the literature of the nuclear testing era. It began January 27, 1951 with the detonation of Able, a one-kiloton weapon. It ended on September 23, 1992 with the final nuclear test named Divider. Including these two tests, a total of 930 devices were tested during this era.
The second segment can be labeled as the literature of nuclear waste era. This era started in 1987 with the section of Yucca Mountain as the only site studied for potential use as a High Level Nuclear Waste Repository. The era and debate continues today. Much of the testing-era works were written by writers with first hand experience of the desert landscape or of actual atomic tests. Such encounters can be found in Watching Dark Circles, Stories that Could be True: New and Collected Poems and Nevada Red Blues. As the test's fallout data became more available, the focus shifted to cultural and health related themes. Works such as Covenant: Atomic Energy Commission, 1950's and Atomic Ghosts: Poets Respond to the Nuclear Age describe such issues.
Poetry
Poetry plays a large part in Nevada's literary culture. Elko, Nevada is home to the annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the nation's oldest cowboy poetry festival. Every January, cowboy poets travel to Elko to share their stories about life on the open range. This event is a week-long celebration of life in the rural West. It features new and old arts that come from people making a living by caring for land and livestock.
Another event in Nevada with a literary slant is the Vegas Valley Book Festival. The Book Festival is held each November, and includes a children's book festival, lectures, readings, poetry, and more. Well-known authors, aspiring writers, and lovers of reading attend this two-day program held in the Las Vegas Arts District.
For those who appreciate literature, Nevada has a unique and interesting literary history. The collections of nuclear literature detail an important part of American history that offer insight to a controversial issue in our nation's history.
