Tulare County Library, Tulare County Historical Society, Tulare Historical Museum celebrate local poet Wilma McDaniel with first Literary Landmark in Central Valley

Tulare County organizations Tulare County Library, Tulare County Historical Museum, and Tulare County Historical Society are proud to present a plaque unveiling ceremony March 28 from 11 am to 3 pm at the Tulare Historical Museum, 444 W. Tulare Ave. Tulare, CA 93274.

All organizations and the attending public will meet to honor local poet Wilma McDaniel as the first Literary Landmark in the Central San Joaquin Valley and the first woman in California to be honored with such an award.

The Literary Landmark event honoring Tulare Poet Laureate, the late Wilma McDaniel, will begin at 11 am with free Oklahoma style “Biscuits and Gravy” provided by Superior Air, ice cream from Rosa Brothers, and live music. At 1 pm there will be an invocation followed by a formal program with guest speakers including Professor Karen Neurohr from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Following the guest speaker, there will be poetry recitals, dignitary presentations, and the unveiling of the Literary Landmark plaque honoring Wilma McDaniel’s contribution Tulare County’s literary history.

Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel (1918-2007), acclaimed folk poet, known as “The Okie Poet,” and Tulare’s Bicentennial Poet and Poet Laureate. Born near Stroud, Oklahoma, Wilma at age 8 began writing poetry on scraps of paper and cardboard for later publication. McDaniel’s family moved to the San Joaquin Valley during the Dust Bowl and settled in Tulare, California. Her childhood in Oklahoma, the Dust Bowl migrant experience, and living in Tulare County influenced her evocative, plain language poetry. She published over 50 books of poetry, including The Carousel Would Haunt Me, Walking on an Old Road, and many more.

The Literary Landmark Award was started in 1986 to encourage the dedication of historic sites nationwide and it is now administered by United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. Other notable Literary Landmarks in California include plaques honoring Dashiell Hammett, Jack London, the Beat Poets, and now Wilma McDaniel as the first woman Literary Landmark awardee in California.

Tulare County Library serves all the citizens of Tulare County with locations in seventeen communities, four book machines and online at www.tularecountylibrary.org. Like the Library on Facebook www.facebook.com/tularecountylibrary , Instagram @tularecountylib or follow us on Twitter twitter.com/TulareCountyLib.