National Women’s History Project event recognizes Nevada poet Irene Bruce
Historic Silver City is the venue for a month of poetry events this April. Organized by the Resident Artist Program in Silver City in collaboration with many other groups, the festival includes four public events during National Poetry Month.
On Saturday, April 9 at 2pm, the public is invited to celebrate the contributions of prolific poet Irene Bruce, who lived in Reno, Virginia City, Silver City and Carson City during her long writing career.
The event will include light refreshments, a reading of Bruce's biographical summary that will be added to the Nevada Women's History Project (NWHP) archives, and a reading of several of Bruce's poems. NWHP’s Mona Reno will explain the purpose of the organization, how to become involved, and how to contribute biographical information about Nevada women for the archives. The NWHP is dedicated to preserving the history of Nevada women through biographies, oral histories, research and public presentations.
Irene Bruce (1903-1987) was the author of three popular books of poetry, and more than 500 of her poems were published in the San Francisco Examiner, Nevada magazine, Sunset, the New Mexico Quarterly Review, etc. The quality of her writing continues to be recognized decades later. Some of her poems were included in Desert Wood, Shaun Griffin's 1991 anthology of Nevada poetry, and in Cheryl Glotfelty's comprehensive literary anthology of Nevada, Literary Nevada: Writings from the Silver State (2008).
Bruce played an important role in Nevada’s literary world. She was poetry editor for Nevada magazine, co-editor of the literary magazine Destinies, and host of a weekly poetry broadcast on KOH radio. She was also the founder of the Reno Poetry Workshop and the Reno branch's secretary of the National League of American Pen Women.
The April 9 event is co-sponsored by the Nevada Women's History Project (NWHP) and the Resident Artist Program in Silver City, with additional support from the Silver City Preservation Society, Silver City Arts, and the Silver City Volunteer Library.
Silver City’s inaugural poetry festival will also include readings by Nevada Poet Gailmarie Pahmeier Sunday, April 3 at 3pm; Pulitizer Prize nominated poet David Lee on Sunday, April 10 at 2pm, and Nevada Writers Hall of Fame member Shaun Griffin on Sunday, April 24 at 2pm.
The Silver City Schoolhouse (community center) is the venue for all four April poetry events. It is located on the Comstock within the national historic district at 385 High Street in Silver City, Nevada 89428. Silver City is 3 miles south of Virginia City, 12 miles from Carson City, and less than 30 miles from Reno. For more information about Silver City’s month of poetry events, contact Resident Artist Program in Silver City director Quest Lakes at (775) 847-0742 or quest@theodata.com.