Voting Station

John G. Neihardt

Please vote to return to collections.

Poet

The Resume

    (January 8, 1888-November 3, 1973)
    Born in Sharpsburg, Illinois
    Nebraska’s first and only Poet Laureate
    Poet in Residence, University of Missouri (1948-1970)
    Author of ‘Black Elk Speaks’, ‘The Song of Hugh Glass’, ‘A Cycle of the West’, ‘All is But a Beginning’

Why he might be annoying:

    He was very short.
    His family was abandoned by his father.
    He had to work as a bellringer and janitor to afford attending Nebraska Normal College (now Wayne State College).
    He could not afford the ten dollar fee for the college graduation ceremony, so he dug potatoes in a field that day instead.
    His poetry has not aged well.
    He has been criticized for changing Black Elk’s words and stories to make his tales more dramatic, thereby changing their meaning and purpose to fit his needs.
    Even though he is considered Nebraska’s greatest writer, he spent most of his career in Missouri.
    When he was named Nebraska Poet Laureate, it was in perpetuity, meaning that when he died, no one else could claim that title, which has irritated Nebraska writers who are known simply as 'State Poet'.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was a dazzling public speaker, and his poetry readings were legendary.
    He noted that only one student could afford to attend his college graduation.
    He met his wife Mona, a New York sculptor, through writing letters. They fell in love and got engaged despite never having met each other. She never met him in person until taking a train to Nebraska to marry him.
    He was the first American writer to specifically write sympathetically about Native Americans.
    He was chosen by Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux medicine man who had rejected several attempts to document hist life story, because the spirits said he was the one who could do it.
    In gratitude and friendship, Black Elk gave Neihardt the Oglala Sioux name, 'Flaming Rainbow', and made Neihardt and his family members of his tribe.
    'The Song of Hugh Glass' was rewritten as 'The Revenant', which means Leonardo Di Caprio owes Neihardt a lot.
    Neihardt’s autobiography, 'All is But a Beginning', is a masterpiece of the genre.
    He returned to the spotlight when fellow Nebraskan Dick Cavett had him appear on his show in 1970. The appearance introduced Neihardt to a new generation of fans.

Credit: BrotherGrem


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 60 Votes: 26.67% Annoying