Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS-001

Staff Only

Scope and Contents of Collection

This collection includes personal and professional correspondence, manuscripts, diaries, photographs, newspaper clippings and audio-visual materials documenting the life and career of Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel. Also included are publications containing poetry by Wilma McDaniel and select publications from her personal library. The audio-visual materials include interviews and scenes of Wilma McDaniel reading her poetry.

Dates

Creation: 1936-2007

Creator

McDaniel, Wilma Elizabeth (Person)

Access

Collection is open for research

Publication Rights

Copyright for Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel’s literary works is owned by the Regents of the University of California. Transmission or reproduction of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. Contact the UC Merced Library regarding permissions

Biography

Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel was born in 1918 in Stroud, Oklahoma, and moved with her family to the Central Valley of California in 1936 as part of the Dust Bowl migration. She lived in the Central Valley, primarily in Tulare, for the remainder of her life. She is known as “Okie Poet”. She is the author of over fifty collections of poetry and prose. Most of McDaniel's writings focus on different aspects of life in the Central Valley. She was the subject of a film documentary by Chris Simon, “Down an Old Road: The Poetic Life of Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel.” She had died on April 13, 2007.