Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel-Tulare's Biscuits & Gravy Poet

Although we were contemporaries, I never met Wilma McDaniel and I very much regret that. I hadn't discovered San Joaquin Valley literature during those years - too busy working and raising a family, I guess. I acquired my first McDaniel book by accident in probably the late 1990s. It was a small hardcover publication called The Red Coffee Can. The Raggedy Ann doll artwork on the dustcover is what caught my attention. I thought it was a children's book, so without opening it, I just put in on my bookshelf, not realizing that the author had already achieved recognition as the "Okie Poet."

When I finally opened The Red Coffee Can several years later, I found it was not a children's book at all, but rather a collection of poems and stories written by a unique and insightful writer with a humble and interesting background. But I missed my chance to meet her. She had died.

Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel was born on December 22, 1918, and came to California from her native Oklahoma with her family in 1936. The McDaniel family had become part of the larger migration of displaced folks looking to escape hard times brought on by devastating droughts, relentless winds and a bad economy.

While in California, Wilma worked at various jobs including field work. Another was working at the Real Life Studio in Woodlake. She liked to write, and in 1947 she even had a small article published in the Woodlake Echo.

While living in Tulare, Wilma struggled with health issues, especially in later life. Adding to her struggles, she never had much money. In the 1950s and 1960s, her hard life eased a little and she was able to pursue formal education. Correspondence courses and other preparations earned her a G.E.D certificate, then she was off to College of the Sequoias where she took a few classes.

During the 1950s, she also pursued religious studies. As a devout Catholic, she was received as a candidate in the secular Franciscan Order and became part of the Third Order of Saint Francis, a lay fraternity of men and women who followed the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. She lived her faith and devoted her life to helping others which included her parents and siblings.

She wrote regularly including in her diary, and her stories and poems attracted attention both regionally and locally. Gerald Haslam, well-known San Joaquin Valley writer and recipient of several literary awards, said about Wilma, "No writer has more powerfully or more originally captured the lives of California's Okies."

In 1993, Betty Blanks, an attorney living and working in Visalia, met Wilma for the first time, and the two became good friends. As Wilma continued to struggle with medical issues, Betty and others helped her. In 2005, Wilma suffered a severe stroke and was admitted to a care facility. Betty and another of Wilma's good friends, Trudy Wischemann, helped her during this difficult time.

Eventually Wilma returned home, but by March 2007, she was back at the care home. She died on April 13, 2007, at the age of 88. She had never married.

Betty realized the importance of Wilma's life and accomplishments. After all, Wilma had written 16 books of poetry including Walking on an Old Road, The Last Dust Storm, A Primer for Buford, Sister Vayda's Song, A Prince Albert Wind and Borrowed Coats. For over four years, Betty researched and wrote Pick Up Your Name and Write - The Life of Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel.

Betty is a skillful writer who presents Wilma's oftentimes difficult life in an uplifting way. She includes many stories of Wilma and her interaction with local people including Carmelita Jarvis Conn (Valley Voice creator), Buck Owens (country music singer), Gerald Haslam (San Joaquin Valley writer),Tom Hennion (Tulare Advance Register editor), and Alfred "Al" Pietroforte (COS instructor). In it, Betty also reveals the connection Wilma had with places like Mooney Grove Park, College of the Sequoias, Fresno City College and St. Anthony Retreat.

Recently released, the biography of Wilma McDaniel gives readers insight into this soft spoken and talented lady who was named Poet Laureate of Tulare. Thanks to Betty for writing the book and being such a good friend to Wilma.

To get a copy of Pick Up Your Name and Write, visit your local bookstore or go to wilmaelizabethmcdaniel.com.