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Did you hear about the controversy surrounding the poet laureate of Nevada? Sure you did.
You knew a power play was underway in Carson City concerning current poet laureate Norman Kaye, 82, and the sneaky effort to replace him.
Kaye, a Las Vegas resident who's written tunes for crooner Perry Como, is not happy the state wants a new promoter of the iambic pentameter.
Kaye was torqued to learn the Nevada Arts Council recently sent out a press release seeking nominations for the post of poet laureate. The announcement does not mention the state has an existing poet laureate in Kaye, a grievous slight in my book.
You knew a power play was underway in Carson City concerning current poet laureate Norman Kaye, 82, and the sneaky effort to replace him.
Kaye, a Las Vegas resident who's written tunes for crooner Perry Como, is not happy the state wants a new promoter of the iambic pentameter.
Kaye was torqued to learn the Nevada Arts Council recently sent out a press release seeking nominations for the post of poet laureate. The announcement does not mention the state has an existing poet laureate in Kaye, a grievous slight in my book.
According to various press accounts, Kaye is an important figure in the creation of the Vegas lounge scene in the 1940s and at one time belonged to the Mary Kaye Trio.
The position of poet laureate was established in 1957 by Gov. Grant Sawyer. Kaye was tapped to become Nevada poet laureate in 1967 by Sawyer, who dug the group's act. The trio recorded about 15 albums and headlined at the Sahara alongside Sammy Davis Jr. After splitting up in the mid 1960s, Kaye developed a highly-successful real estate business.
Maybe the governor wants an actual poet who actually publishes poetry. But Iwill go on record in complete support of retaining Mr. Kaye as Nevada's poet laureate, despite the fact that nobody I know has ever read any of his poetry, if indeed he is a published poet.
Why quibble with the qualifications of the state's poet laureate? This man helped create the cheesy Vegas lounge scene that would become nouveau chic with the Rat Pack in the 1960s and later with young Hollywood stars who have never snored through a selection of Perry Como classics, some of which poet laureate Norman Kaye penned.
This man, while I've never heard of him or his poetry, is a legend and not to be discarded by members of the highfalutin Nevada Arts Council.
The position of poet laureate was established in 1957 by Gov. Grant Sawyer. Kaye was tapped to become Nevada poet laureate in 1967 by Sawyer, who dug the group's act. The trio recorded about 15 albums and headlined at the Sahara alongside Sammy Davis Jr. After splitting up in the mid 1960s, Kaye developed a highly-successful real estate business.
Maybe the governor wants an actual poet who actually publishes poetry. But Iwill go on record in complete support of retaining Mr. Kaye as Nevada's poet laureate, despite the fact that nobody I know has ever read any of his poetry, if indeed he is a published poet.
Why quibble with the qualifications of the state's poet laureate? This man helped create the cheesy Vegas lounge scene that would become nouveau chic with the Rat Pack in the 1960s and later with young Hollywood stars who have never snored through a selection of Perry Como classics, some of which poet laureate Norman Kaye penned.
This man, while I've never heard of him or his poetry, is a legend and not to be discarded by members of the highfalutin Nevada Arts Council.
They no doubt will seek out an academic "poet" with a few obscure chapbooks (total press run 37) and who has poems published in college literary magazines but who has never written a single tune for any Vegas lounge act.
The call for nominations reeks of elitism. Candidates for the next poet laureate will be scrutinized "using a criteria of distinguished achievements," the Nevada Arts Council notes.
It's not a paying gig, although the Hilliard Endowment and Nevada Arts Council will pay up to $2,000 in gas money for the next poet laureate to travel the state.
A committee of two published Nevada writers, one former poet laureate from a western state and a representative of the governor's office and the Nevada Arts Council will screen the applicants.
The call for nominations reeks of elitism. Candidates for the next poet laureate will be scrutinized "using a criteria of distinguished achievements," the Nevada Arts Council notes.
It's not a paying gig, although the Hilliard Endowment and Nevada Arts Council will pay up to $2,000 in gas money for the next poet laureate to travel the state.
A committee of two published Nevada writers, one former poet laureate from a western state and a representative of the governor's office and the Nevada Arts Council will screen the applicants.
While I will vehemently argue Norman Kaye should retain his post as poet laureate, I cannot support any cowboy poets for the job should Mr. Kaye agree to step aside.
It's not that Idon't want to, mind you. It's because I was youthful and impressionable when an academic mentor drummed into my head the slipshod intellectual quality of cowboy poetry.
This professor had a deep-seated aversion to all cowboy poetry ala Waddie Mitchell, et al. A mere mention of rhymin' poems about riding herd and drinking coffee around the campfire while twirling the end of a big ol' handlebar moustache caused his right eye to twitch.
His unrelenting diatribe against cowboy poetry (no offense to the fine folks in Elko) for an entire semester is something Isimply have not been able to shake after all these years.
Steve F. Lyon is editor of the Lahontan Valley news
It's not that Idon't want to, mind you. It's because I was youthful and impressionable when an academic mentor drummed into my head the slipshod intellectual quality of cowboy poetry.
This professor had a deep-seated aversion to all cowboy poetry ala Waddie Mitchell, et al. A mere mention of rhymin' poems about riding herd and drinking coffee around the campfire while twirling the end of a big ol' handlebar moustache caused his right eye to twitch.
His unrelenting diatribe against cowboy poetry (no offense to the fine folks in Elko) for an entire semester is something Isimply have not been able to shake after all these years.
Steve F. Lyon is editor of the Lahontan Valley news
