Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California's First Poet Laureate, by Aleta George
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Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California's First Poet Laureate, by Aleta George
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Bronze medal winner, 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards (biography)Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California's First Poet Laureateis a new biography about a pioneer poet, Oakland's first publiclibrarian, and the most popular literary ambassador in the earlyAmerican West. In post-Gold Rush San Francisco, she was known as the pearl of her tribe, a tribe that included Bret Harte, Mark Twain, and John Muir. Jack London and Isadora Duncan considered her their literary godmother, and John Greenleaf Whittier knew more of her poems by heart than she did his. Regardless of the acclaim from others, Coolbrith faced a series of challenges throughout her life that tested her devotion to her art. In the end, she put her full faith in poetry and her story reveals the saving grace of creativity in a woman's life.George's deftly told and deeply researched book follows the struggles and triumphs of Coolbrith from her birth in 1841 as a niece of Mormon founder Joseph Smith to her death in 1928 as California's most beloved poet.California crowned Coolbrith its first poet laureate in 1915 during San Francisco's Panama-Pacific International Exposition, and 2015 marks the centennial of her being named America's first state laureate.
Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California's First Poet Laureate, by Aleta George - Amazon Sales Rank: #1262689 in Books
- Published on: 2015-03-10
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.02" h x .75" w x 5.98" l, 1.07 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 362 pages
Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California's First Poet Laureate, by Aleta George Review "George's book enriches the kaleidoscope of American literary figures and may bring new attention to this regional writer."--Publishers Weekly (BookLife)"George's prose is finely turned yet unobtrusive throughout. It is her enthusiasm and affection for Coolbrith and California that gives this biography its vitality and crystal clear resonance."--Keith Skinner, Extract(s), Daily Dose of Lit"Coolbrith's life is so captivating that it has been waiting not just for another biographer, but for a first-rate storyteller." --David Alpaugh, Ina Coolbrith Circle "In a book marked by literary grace and conviction, Aleta George presents a nuanced yet compelling portrait of a major California figure." --Malcolm Margolin, Heyday Books "This book is engaging and detailed in a way that draws me in, not blocks me out. I'm totally in love with the time and place of [Ina's] story."--Cal Tabuena-Frolli, Graphic Designer, The Litography Project
About the Author Aleta George writes about nature and culture in California. Her work has been featured in Smithsonian.com, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and Bay Nature magazine. This is her first book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Extraordinarily Perceptive! By Suzanne Bruce Aleta George brings you immediately into Ina Coolbrith’s remarkable life journey! Through George’s writing, she incorporates all senses engaging the reader with the sensation of being right there in history. From Ina’s awareness of California nature, to the love of music coupled with her natural ability to write, it is no wonder Coolbrith was a poet. However, the difficulties of being a woman among patriarchal ways of thinking, often her voice was unheard. Writers such as Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Jack London, and Charles Stoddard, although were friends, were among those with whom she had to compete. George also uncovers many secrets in Ina’s life that greatly impacted her efforts to survive in this male domination. Her struggles on this tumultuous trail are a heartfelt story. Aleta George has skillfully captured every moment!Suzanne Bruce, poetFairfield, CA
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. An intimate look into the relationships and events that shaped a remarkable woman By Keith Skinner I was quickly drawn into this story that begins with fifteen year old Ina Coolbrith attending school for the first time in Los Angeles and being inspired by her discovery of the self-educated poet Edward Pollack. Until then, Ina had been exposed to more classical forms of poetry. “Pollock’s poem was set in a place she knew, and that cracked open a landscape of possibility inside of her. It served as a ‘revelation that poetry was, or could be, written in California.’” That revelation would lead her to write a poem for school that would become the teenager’s first published work.Aleta George spent ten years pouring over newspaper and journal clippings, diaries, literary works, and even Coolbrith’s scrapbook to unearth the quotes, observations and insights that provide an intimate look into the relationships and events that shaped this remarkable woman, one who actively tried to avoid such exposure.The first section of the book recounts Coolbrith’s early life among the Mormons of Illinois (she was the niece of Mormon founder Joseph Smith) and the move west to California. George carefully crafts the material into dramatic stories that, at times, are real nail-biters: the disturbing inner workings of the Mormon community, the tension between the government and an increasingly belligerent Mormon leadership, the fallout from Coolbrith’s first marriage, and the family’s eventual move to San Francisco where they reinvent themselves.It’s in San Francisco that Coolbrith blooms and matures: in notoriety, wit, and ambition. As her reputation as a poet grows, so does her confidence and the texture of her personality. George takes us into living rooms, parlors, and editorial offices where Coolbrith consoles, cajoles, and spars with the likes of Brett Harte, Charles Warren Stoddard, and Mark Twain. Throughout, George weaves exquisite historical detail into the story, rendering 1860s San Francisco as a vivid stage for the narrative.One of my favorite literary scenes was a gathering of writers at the Oakland hills ranch of Adeline Knapp in 1895. From notes taken by a reporter in attendance, we are are allowed to eavesdrop on what became something of a scholarly donnybrook over poetry. After a few lofty statements about it being “the language of the gods,” the hostess proclaims, “[Poets] tear the language from limb to limb in their efforts to express what is inexpressible, unexistent. They give us words, words, words, wrenched from their natural meanings, and arranged in all sorts of unnatural forms…” It’s just one example of the often caustic banter Coolbrith and her contemporaries toss at each other throughout the book.George probes many of Coolbrith’s relationships throughout her life. Being a Charles Keeler fan, I was particularly touched by the accounts of their long, close friendship. Of a collection of her poetry Keeler once wrote, “It may not have been great poetry, but we were sure that it was genuine. It rang true.” But as time passes, we see the relationship between them grow and deepen. Keeler becomes a champion of Coolbrith’s work and later likens her to “a poet with the artistry of an English Tennyson.”As the title suggests, we witness much of Coolbrith’s life wracked with hardship, adversity and loss. At times, she must abandon her art altogether. Speaking of her poetry at one point, she tells her brother, “The bird forgot its notes and the wings their flight.” George does a good job of letting us feel the impact of these personal tragedies without becoming morose. Quite the opposite, we see in Coolbrith a resilience and determination to survive.In the preface, George tells us, “Writing a biography is an intimate affair. I love spending time with Coolbrith…” Further on, she continues, “She loved California and worked to capture its natural beauty in language, something that I also strive for in my work.” We see that dynamic in play in George’s prose which is finely turned yet unobtrusive throughout. It is her enthusiasm and affection for Coolbrith and California that gives this biography its vitality and crystal clear resonance.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Bittersweet Song Indeed By Wallace Ravven A deep and sensitive portrait of a passionate, sometimes tortured artist -- America’s first state Poet Laureate. With a rich historical perspective and respect for the creative spirit, Aleta George uncovers the joy and tumult of a poet who often struggled and sometimes thrived in the rapidly changing new world of California’s artistic awakening. A woman we would today call a feminist artist, Ina Coolbrith, was friend and likely intimate of Mark Twain and Bret Harte, and a mentor to Jack London, Isadora Duncan and Mary Austin. This book shine new light on a champion of the west coast’s raw beauty.
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