Book Reviews

George Q. Cannon: A Biography

By Davis Bitton (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1999 xiv + 554 pp $34.95.)

NO ONE WOULD QUIBBLE with Davis Bitton's view that George Q. Cannon was one of the most influential leaders in Utah and the LDS church. Bitton argues, rightly, I believe, that Cannon made significant contributions in migration management, pioneering the West, expanding Christianity, editing and printing, education, social experimentation, entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and politics

In the charming adaptation of a technique often used by novelists, Bitton begins Cannon's story with the 1850-54 Hawaiian mission. After discussing the mission, Bitton returns to Cannon's early life. Born in 1827 in Liverpool, England, Cannon was converted to Mormonism with his family in 1840 by John Taylor, his maternal uncle Cannon immigrated to Nauvoo in 1842.There, he worked on the Times and Seasons, and he saw anti-Mormon violence firsthand Cannon migrated to Utah in 1847 in the company led by Taylor and Parley P Pratt

Not long thereafter, Cannon accepted calls that brought him into the LDS church's inner circles. These included calls to mine gold in California; to edit the Western Standard, the Juvenile Instructor, and the Deseret News; and to establish the general Sunday School organization. Called as an apostle in 1860, he served as a counselor to Brigham Young from 1873 to 1877. Thereafter he served until his death in 1901 as first counselor to John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow.

Cannon played a particularly significant political role. After lobbying for statehood in 1872, he functioned as territorial delegate until the Edmund s Act rendered him ineligible in 1882. A Democra t whil e delegate, h e switche d allegiance t o th e Republican party in the late 1880s as part of Utah's successful statehood campaign.

Bitton offers considerable detail on Cannon's family arrangements Married to Elizabeth Hoagland in 1854, Cannon subsequently married five other women, the last, Caroline Young, in 1884.These women bore him children between 1856 and 1892

The biography is excellent and worthy of the Evans Biography Prize, which it won, but I would disagree with some of Bitton's assessments and with his decision to exclude some material. Far too many people were actively involved in the struggle for state- hood for me to accept the assessment that "More than any other single person, George Q Cannon was the father of Utah statehood " (372). Historians have made similar claims for others. Instead, I would call him a key player

Although Bitton details the conflicts between the Mormons and non-Mormons , he downplays some disputes within the Mormon community. He ignores, for instance, Cannon's role in the excommunication of William S Godbe, even though he was complainant of record. This crucial case addressed problems such as ecclesiastical dictation in secular affairs and loyal opposition in economic policy.

Bitton fails to detail the role of the Bullion-Beck dispute and of Cannon's business dealings in the delayed reorganization of the first presidency under Wilford Woodruff Within a year of Godbe's excommunication, Cannon and Taylor had begun to invest in mining properties Nevertheless, beyond a brief discussion of dedicated stock (286-87), Bitton passes over the issue with the terse comment that it "provoked criticism from a few individuals unaware of the details of the transfer" (287).

As in most books, some errors of fact appear in the narrative Bitton misidentifies the judges mentioned on pages 116 and 206. He also overstates the effects of the Edmunds Act The law did not provide that Utah "would now be governed by a commission along with the appointed governor and judges" (258) The law did not alter the roles of territorial executive officers and judges. It left the existing governmen t intact, except that the Uta h Commission appointed election judges and disqualified practicing polygamists Since the Mormons constituted an overwhelming majority of Utah's population, they continued to elect the territorial delegates, city and county officials, and an overwhelming majority of the legislature This did not change until changing migration patterns led to "gentile" victories in Ogden in 1889 and Salt Lake City in 1890

Nevertheless, the biography should be required reading for anyone interested in Mormon or Utah history

THOMAS G ALEXANDER Brigham Young University Provo, Utah

Scoundrel's Tale: The Samuel Brannan Papers

Edited by Will Bagley Vol 3 of Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier (Spokane: Arthur H. Clark Co., 1999. 476 pp. Paperback edition, Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 1999. $21.95.)

THIS BOOK was "intended for those with a love for the raw materials from which history is written." It seeks to represent faithfully the original records in a readable format This is in keeping with the longstanding tradition of the rightly honored threegeneration publishers of the documents of western American history, the Arthur H Clark Company Since, as editor Will Bagley correctly states, no reliable Brannan biography exists—even though at least four authors attempted a biography prior to 1960—the editorial comments used to introduce the documents published and the valuable insights of those documents make this book the best source of information on Samuel Brannan yet. The author-editor rightly calls his subject a scoundrel but finds him "more entertaining than evil."The victims of California's longstanding tradition of extra legal vigilante punishments, which Brannan did so much to nurture, would certainly disagree on that point.

The information presented is far more satisfactory for the purposes of students of Utah and Mormo n history than it is for their counterparts seeking to study Brannan's role in California history. Th e documents relating to his quarter-century of prominence there simply do not exist, and so that phase of his life cannot be treated well here. This is an admitted weakness of documentary history. However, his roots and early life as a Latter-day Saint missionary in the eastern United States are carefully treated and lend good insights into the church and missionary efforts at this time

While Brannan consistently claimed that the idea of sending a shipload of Mormons to California was his own, the editor persuasively traces the evolution of that idea in the correspondence of other church leaders Brigham Young's letter to Addison Pratt, a missionary in Tahiti, indicates that already in 1845 the church leaders envisioned settlements on the Pacific Coast to supply emigrants to "the main Mormo n settlements," which Young asserted would probably be near Utah Lake in the Great Basin At that time, the apostles planned to send some three thousand men and their families to California the following year, 1846.

Brigham Young wrote to Brannan in mid-September 1845, telling him he wished that Brannan and the printing press with which Brannan was publishing a New York Mormon newspaper were in San Francisco along with 10,000 other church members

At that time the church leader suggested that if Brannan could go the next year he should, and Young asserted that he would later meet Brannan there That was doubtless the inception of the ship Brooklyn venture and Brannan's assumption that Brigham Young intended to come all the way to the Pacific Coast, even though almost all of the church leader's other statements focused on remaining in Utah

It is disappointing that there is not a good documentary source of the Brooklyn voyage. Bagley is correct in stating that the true significance of the venture is that it brought the first shipload of American emigrants to California It is also appropriate to cite H H. Bancroft's statement that for a time Yerba Buena remained "very largely a Mormon town." It is this reviewer's opinion that a better case could have been made from existing documents that Brannan lacked adequate leadership over the Latter-day Saints he was still charged to direct. There were sufficient committed, obedient brethren who could have built a more lasting Mormo n community in several Bay-area and San Joaquin Valley locations, if they had been adequately led

The famous but little-detailed journey of Samuel Brannan to Wyoming to persuade Brigham Young and the Saints to accompany him all the way to San Francisco has been filled in admirably Assembling so many accounts never before used for this purpose is an excellent feat of historical scholarship. Brigham Young's reason for not considering moving farther on, Bagley writes, was that the church did not have sufficient means to do so Bagley also cites James Brown quoting Brigham telling Brannan that "we have no business at San Francisco The Gentiles will be there pretty soon." As much as we California Mormon s may wish to deny it, Brigham Young's conscious decision to choose a location -where there would be no conflict with hostile neighbors stands as one of his "wisest moves ever

Brannan continued to be endorsed by Young as president of the church in California, although there was already some question about his reliability. He requested that an apostle be sent to oversee the considerable interests the church possessed on the coast, a good idea not heeded at the time Brannan also asked several times for more direction from church headquarters, which was not forthcoming.

Bagley does not support the widely recounted story of Brannan delaying the announcement of the gold discovery until after he had secured a corner on the mining equipment and provisions markets He asserts that this claim overstates his subject's cunning and foresight Yet the promptness with which Brannan carried out plans to erect a warehouse and the extent of his store trade at New Helvetia-Sacramento continues to point to some real foresight as well as opportunism Brannan associate R F Peckham described S Brannan & Co to be the "largest and best assortment of stock in the country." Its trade was said to average about $4,000, nearly 80 percent of which was clear profit If Brannan had acted as surreptitiously as many historical accounts claim, it is not likely he would have left the paper trail essential to prove such a case in a documentary history.

Brannan's apostasy is rightly said by Bagley to be "encrusted with myth." Stories have recounted that several church leaders, including Brigham Young, not only reminded him of tithing owed but also requested gifts to themselves—and that Brannan stated he would pay more to the church when he next received a receipt from the Lord for the last payment made. Bagley sees no truth in this, although he believes that his subject probably originated such accounts of defiance to church authority

The author-editor correctly states that Brannan's most famous exploit was his leadership of the vigilante movement of 1851. While the chapter on the subject adequately documents the activities of the committee Brannan led, the documents do not reflect—nor could they—his real motives Bagley cites historian Kevin Mullen as authority for the fact that there was no particular crime wave to justify setting aside existing governmental authority at that time Mullen argues that the real fear of Brannan and his associates at the time of the vigilante activity was that a proposed business tax might force them to pay their legitimate share of the city's expenses. Elder Parley P. Pratt rightly excommunicated Samuel Brannan for his role in the 1851 committees of vigilance.

The chapter on the "Richest Man in California" adequately summarizes the main career of Brannan as a financier and plunger into numerous California enterprises. But the documentary details simply do not exist for justice to this subject The failures of his Calistoga resort venture, his divorce, and his alcoholism are correctly stated to be the key to his economic demise.

It would have been illuminating to have more detail on Brannan's outrageous filibustering effort regarding Hawaii, but again the documents probably do not exist There is, however, sufficient documentation to portray the man at the height of unscrupulous opportunism—and failure There is virtually nothing in the book about Brannan in the more extensive 1856 committee of vigilance, in "which he was not so prominent but was still involved Partly drawing on the work of Ray Luce and Newell Bringhurst, Bagley does an excellent job documenting the later years of Brannan's life, including his ever-exaggerated hopes of an empire in northern Mexico. This era has an overabundance of documentation, mercifully condensed, which indicates Brannan's bitterness toward the Mormo n hierarchy while still hoping to enlist some good Latter-day Saint colonizers for his domain.

Scoundrel's Tale is an important contribution to historical scholarship, offering easy access to several of the most important aspects of Samuel Brannan's life, particularly his role in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While other aspects are left essentially unexplored, that is the inherent nature of documentary history and is the reason that other types of historical scholarship are essential Author—editor Will Bagley has more than served an adequate apprenticeship in gathering and publishing documents. For several years he has been among the most energetic and resourceful researchers of Utah/Mormo n history In this reviewer's opinion he is now more than adequately qualified to interpret the material he presents. Many of us are looking forward to his soon doing so, knowing that we may not always agree with his conclusions

E. LEO LYMAN Victorville, California

Creating the National Park Service: The Missing Years

By Horace M Albright and Marian Albright Schenk (Norman: University of Oklahohma Press, 1999 xxiv + 350 pp Paper, $17.95.)

DURING THE FIRST FEW YEARS of its existence, the National Park Service faced many challenges. The new agency, created by the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916, confronted a Congress reluctant to appropriate the necessary funds for Park Service activities, dealt with the need to develop policies and philosophies, and fought against numerous interests that wanted to exploit park resources during the First World War. In the critical years of 1917 and 1918, the Park Service tackled all of these challenges without the able leadership of its director, Stephen T. Mather, whose problems with manic depression—problems kept hidden from the public—kept him away from his duties For these two years, Mather's assistant, Horace M. Albright, served as acting director and worked to solve the Park Service's initial troubles.

Creating the National Park Service reveals the previously untold history of these "missing years" in the infancy of the agency After brief recollections of Albright's childhood and college years, the bulk of the boo k deals with the years 1915-1919 , covering Albright's early years in the Departmen t of the Interior, the beginning of his relationship with Stephen Mather, the founding of the National Park Service, and the "missing years." The book ends with Albright's first day as the superintendent ofYellowstone National Park in July 1919.

Combinin g autobiography, history, and memoir , Horac e Albright used old manuscripts, scrapbooks, photo albums, and his own memories in putting the bulk of the information for this book together. Marian Albright Schenk, Albright's daughter, augmented this information with some outside research, copied down her father's stories, and actually wrote most of the narrative As Schenk states in the introduction, "this is a book conceived, planned, and for the most part overseen and checked, page by page, by my father" (xv) Following Horace Albright's death in 1987, Schenk completed the final section and then spent several years editing and shaping a 2,000-page manuscript into this volume.

Creating the National Park Service has no real central thesis or argument. Its purpose instead seems to be the recounting of events not covered extensively, or at all, in previous accounts of the early Park Service or Albright's life Even without a central thesis, a number of interesting facts and impressions emerge from the account. In reading this book, one does get a real sense of the numerous obstacles that faced the Park Service in its early years and how the diligence and commitment of Albright and others helped the agency surmount these obstacles. Apart from his coverage of the "missing years," Albright also provides some wonderful descriptions of his travels with Mather and others through the western parks in the 1910s, providing insight into travel at the time, what the parks looked like in their early years, and a general portrait of life in the early twentieth century There are numerous cameos by familiar faces on many of these travels, as Albright meets or travels with the likes of Robert Marshall, Enos Mills, Louis Hill, and Ford Harvey, son of the founder of the Fred Harvey Company For many readers, these chapters may prove to be the highlight of the book.

In the end, Creating the National Park Service provides both the benefits and the drawbacks of autobiography and memoir This book does contain rich, firsthand accounts of early national park politics and wonderful tales of travel through a West that was at the time little developed. Unfortunately, these interesting tidbits are often hidden within protracted retellings of dry bureaucratic maneuverings or are marred by a narrative that jumps around, frequently with poor or nonexistent transitions Additionally, the lack of footnotes and in some cases supporting detail may cause some readers to question at times the reliability of Horace Albright's memory Even with these misgivings, those with a deep interest in the history of the Park Service or anyone interested in life and travel in the parks of the West in the early twentieth century will find this volume a nice addition to their library.

ANDREW M HONKER Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona

Termination Revisited: American Indians on the Trail to Self-Determination, 1933—1953

By Kenneth R. Philp (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1999. xv + 247 pp. $50.00.)

THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT follow-up to the author's earlier John Collier's Crusade for Indian Reform, 1920—1954. Centering his discussion on the Truman administration, Philp attempts to reassess the politics and impact of termination and, especially, the Native American responses to the varied policies that came under the termination umbrella. His objective is to show that Native Americans were active participants and not just bystanders on the periphery of the national debate Most of the book is devoted to a careful reconstruction of the roles played by the major organizations and personalities involved in the termination debate This is a relatively short but dense book that requires a careful reading

Chapter One sets the subject of termination within the World War II context and introduces the reader to the critical roles played by the three C's:John Collier, Felix S. Cohen, and James E. Curry. Here, Philp also embarks on an explanation of the functions and major personalities associated with organization such as the National Congress of American Indians, the Association on American Indian Affairs, and the Home Missions Council.

In Chapter Two, Philp outlines the Indian claims situation as he briefly explains the growth of tribal claims before the Court of Claims and the origins of the Indian Claims Commission I feel that this chapter could easily have been expanded. For instance, the role of individuals such as Utah attorney Ernest L Wilkinson could have been treated in more depth.

Chapter Three takes the reader to Alaska and opens the door to the ongoing debate between those who wanted local Indian control of resources versus those who fought for resource development by private corporations

Chapter Four sheds light on the general Navajo educational and economic situation during the late 1940s and the origins of the Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City, Utah. He notes the key role played by the national attention drawn to the plight of the Navajo as a catalyst for calls to end supervision by the Indian Bureau and to relocate Indians to urban areas.

Chapters Five and Six deal with the process of "emancipation from federal wardship." Philp does a particularly good job of giving the reader a feel for the politics and personalities surrounding President Truman's replacement of John R Nichols by Dillon Myer as Indian Commissioner.

In Chapter Seven Philp delves into the ethical quagmire of the attorneys involved as claims attorneys and as general counsel for tribes during termination The significance of the bitter conflict that arose between Cohen and Curry is examined. This chapter underlines the need for someone to write a clear history of the attorneys that descended upon the tribes and BIA after the passage of the Indian Claims Commission bill in 1946.

Chapter Eight details the Blackfeet "scandal" of 1950-52 and the political machinations of Dillon Myer and others to discredit an activist Indian Reorganization Act tribal council that stood in the way of termination Many of the weaknesses of termination were foreshadowed as mixed-bloods fought to extend the authority of their IRA government and as full-bloods demanded continued treaty rights and federal guardianship over tribal resources. The upshot of all this left Myer more isolated from Indian leaders and in an even more authoritarian mood.

In Chapter Nine the author confronts the conflicts between tribal authority, state jurisdiction, and cases of concurrent federal jurisdiction during and after termination To my mind, Myer and several of the leading policymakers are treated with too much forbearance by the author They were caught up in such a quagmire of conflicting policies and programs that one is reminded of the inexorable march of America's involvement with South Vietnam.

Chapter Ten is a short attempt to discuss Myer's actual programming of withdrawal. I found this chapter to be the most disappointing chapter within the book Is just does not include enough information, it presumes too much knowledge on behalf of the reader, and it ends abruptly with the election of Dwight Eisenhower.

In his epilogue, Philp summarizes the personalities and the roles of those who played a part in President Truman's bid to end internal colonialism within the United States.

Some might complain that Philp fails to live up to his stated goal and that the focus of this book is not really on the efforts of Native Americans facing the onslaught of termination but that it still remains focused on white attorneys and policymakers While there is some truth to this criticism, and the story of termination from the native view is yet to be written, Termination Revisited lays the groundwork for future scholars who may be able to fill in these gaps using oral history and other sources This book is wellwritten, provocative, and insightful, and it is accessible to both a specialist and a serious lay audience I wish the book had been about fifty pages longer, but given today's pressures of pricing, the length is understandable.

RONALD L. HOLT Weber State University Ogden, Utah

A Place to Remember: Using History to Build Community

By Robert R.Archibald (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 1999. 224 pp. Cloth, $27.95; paper, $22.95.)

AS THE NEWEST VOLUME in the American Association for State and Local History's book series, A Place to Remember is a thoughtful yet enthusiastic reminder of why an understanding of local history is not only relevant today but is also indispensable to our future.

In A Place to Remember, Robert Archibald returns to his home town of Ishpeming on the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's upper peninsula for three months of intensive reflection and writing about memory, history, and community. During the decades after leaving Ishpeming as a young man, Archibald earned a Ph.D. in history at the University of New Mexico and then served as director of the Montana Historical Society before moving to St. Louis to take up his present position as director of the Missouri Historical Society He served as president of the American Association for State and Local History from 1994 through 1996 and is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading public historians.

Archibald holds that we are products of the place and time in which we live. He maintains that "If I were raised somewhere else, I would be someone else" and that "to be from a different time is to be from a different place" (39, 64). Nevertheless, there is no set course from past to future, for as individuals we determine our path through our historical perspective and the choices we make. Examples from the author's own experiences and sketches of several individuals, living and dead, help illustrate these views.

Recalling his experience standing on the observation platform on the back of a train traveling between Kansas City and St. Louis and seeing the past disappear in a collage of tracks, trees, roadbed, and sky, Archibald imagines that it was essentially the same view that the engineer had as he peered into the future from his cab in the front of the train. Imagining the train itself as the present, Archibald concludes that the dividing line between the past and future is minuscule and the difference is only a matter of perspective.

At the heart of the book is a lament over the erosion of community in America, coupled with an impassioned belief that if communities are to be saved and even restored it will be because of an enhanced understanding of local history fostered through community-focused history institutions.

History is not something that is dead and only in the past; rather, it is alive in the present, illuminating our view into the future. Archibald argues that if history does not encourage us to have empathy, emotion, concern, and caring while motivating us to action, it is merely a useless exercise in nostalgia with no value in the real world The role of historians is to construct a useful narrative, not to discover universal truth. History is grounded in the context of the past but created to inform the future People must recognize that there is a shared ownership of the past, with multiple perspectives, all of which are worthy of recognition and none of which should be allowed to obscure the others.

In using history to build community, two elements are essential for public history institutions, their staffs, and volunteers. First, they must view community activities and the development of broad community contacts as intrinsic elements of their mission. They must also recognize the role of local museums, local history centers, and local historical societies as building blocks of community. Archibald eloquently explains that what these local institutions and organizations offer is "a sense of identity, an affirmation of individuality, and evidence of continuity These places are memory markers for the community, and little context is needed People walk in with their own memories and artifacts... and in the conversations that happen there, remembrance is tangibly confirmed— They are civic spaces where bonds of community are reinforced, places for discussion of important things" (176-77).

For anyone interested in history, and especially those involved -with local historical societies, museums, and archives or with the preservation of historic places and sites, A Place to Remember is a worthwhile and inspired reminder to step back for a moment to view the essential role of history in our lives and communities, how it gives meaning to the present and connects us to the future.

ALLAN KENT POWELL Utah State Historical Society

Navajo Places: History, Legend, Landscape

By Laurance D. Linford (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2000 xviii + 353 pp Cloth, $60.00; paper, $24.95.)

THERE IS ONLY ONE way to eat an elephant, and that is a bite at a time. Laurance Linford has accepted such a task—identifying Navajo place names both on and off the reservation—and has provided a service in doing so. Those who have interacted with older Navajo people for any length of time are aware of the intense relationship the elders have with the earth. At times it appears that every hill, rock, intermittent stream, canyon, or space has a name and a story that not only shapes interaction with the land but also gives a glimpse into Navajo perception. Linford wisely counsels in his preface that "This book represents work in progress. It will probably never be finished" (xiii). How true, and yet how invaluable it is to make such an attempt.

This work contains more than 1,000 entries, five good maps, a pronunciation guide, and brief introductory comments concerning the physiography of the region, a history of the Navajo, information on social organization and ceremonies, and a list of trading posts. The heart of the book is divided into four sections, one for each of the states—Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah— that either include or surround the 16,000,000 acres of the Navajo Reservation. An extensive index and a short bibliography complete the composition of the text, making it a useful reference tool for the scholar, lay reader, and tourist. One point worthy of commendation is that the author provides the Navajo spelling (as standardized in Morgan's and Young's The Navajo Language) as well as the more anglicized spellings and pronunciations found on road maps and in older publications.

In compiling this work, Linford worked primarily with published sources This makes sense since interviewing Navajo people on a project of this scope would be impossibly cumbersome at best The vast majority of these sites have been identified in the literature and so are well known and generally accessible. There are some unpublished materials, such as that provided by Stephen Jett on his excellent research in Canyon de Chelly. But for those who have worked with Navajo sources, most of the places are familiar and much of the information known. The strength of the work lies in the compilation and accessibility of the material.

The catch-22 to writing a book of this nature is that although information is available, an author often accepts it at face value, not having the time or means to check it Some writers have done careful, painstaking research while others have depended on hearsay and guesswork Linford has utilized some excellent sources but has also used others that were not as reliable This is said in recognition of the fact that the Navajo people may have two or three names and teachings about the same place This is not where the problem lies Rather, there are mistakes in scholarship, which although expected in a work of this breadth, still makes one wince "when put into writing, since errors are perpetuated.

Let me give a few examples for Utah readers. The author mentions these "facts": Shay Mountain is another name for Blue Mountain (285)—but they are actually two separate entities, although located beside each other; Henry Mitchell and James Daugherty were traders in the Aneth area in the 1860s (285)—it was actually the 1880s; Cow Canyon is located in Kane County (289)—it is in San Juan County; the town of Aneth "was named after a trader (285)—the word is actually a Hebrew term meaning "The Answer," according to Howard R. Antes, who bestowed the name in 1895; Mancos Jim was killed by whites in 1923 (294)—it was Posey who was killed; Jacob Hamblin first explored the Bluff region in 1879 (287)—it never happened; and Ouray was a chief of the Weeminuche Band of Utes (156)—he was chief of the Tabeguache Band These and other mistakes, although none are terribly traumatic, create a certain uneasiness.

The author also should have spent more time in his section on history dealing with contemporary affairs. Ten and a half pages discuss Navajo prehistory and history up to 1868 and a quarter of a page covers the time from 1868 to the present. Some of the most important events in "the People's" history concerning the land and its uses have occurred during this time and should be more fully addressed.

In general, however, Linford has taken on a difficult task and succeeded The book is well-written and fills the void of a handy reference for Navajo place names. It is recommended for anyone interested in an introduction to Navajo names and views of the land.

ROBERT S MCPHERSON College of Eastern Utah San Juan Campus

Streaked with Light and Shadow: Portraits of Former Soviet Jews in Utah

Text and interviews by Leslie G. Kelen with Joyce A. Kelen. Essay by Joseph Brodsky Photographs by Kent M Miles and Stacie Ann Smith (Salt Lake City: Oral History Institute, 2000. Il l pp. Paper, $17.95.)

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN years ago, when the world and our nation were very different, young Emma Lazarus wrote a brief poem that became the inscription on a tablet placed at the new Statue of Liberty on Bedloe's Island in Upper New York Bay Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shores. Send these, the homeless tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Barely out of her teens, herself a descendant of German Jewish refugees, Emm a Lazarus wrot e in an era when Europeans swarmed to our nation from Ireland, Italy, Greece, Scotland, Scandinavia—and Russia—in enormous numbers. They landed at Ellis Island or Castle Garden, within sight of Bartholdi's towering statue, numbering fully a million newcomers in some years. New limits blocked mass entry between the two world wars. But in recent years the homeless and tempest-tossed are arriving again. In sizeable numbers they come from Latin American lands, the Orient, Africa, Pacific Islands, and the Indian subcontinent. Readers of this volume may be surprised to learn from Leslie Kelen that, in addition to Spanish-speakers and African natives, Pacific Islanders and Orientals, there has been a small but significant number of European newcomers, including three small "waves" of Russian Jews. As the Cold War neared its end, these waves were reflected in Utah. The Jewish Family Services of Salt Lake City reports that twenty-five people came to Utah during the first wave and seventy-five during the second wave. A more significant number, 376 people, have arrived since 1992 in what statisticians view as the third wave.

The volume produces several surprises The newcomers interviewed by the author and well-photographed by Kent Miles are not, in the main, men and women Emma Lazarus might have included in her "huddled masses." Nor do most appear to have been poor back in their homelands Yet they have yearned to be free, as is amply illustrated in the interviews in Kelen's volume.

Streaked with light and shadow? Yes indeed—the light stems from their faith, their resilience, and from the universities, medical schools, academies, and the like that they attended in the former Soviet Union.

One glaring problem afflicting life in the Soviet Union for the people of this book is and always has been the dark shadow of anti-Semitism Very real, sometimes open, sometimes hidden, this fact of Russian life forced these men and women in top-level intellectual, professional, and business callings to migrate from their (often-beloved) Mother Russia.

Typically, Genya Sasonkin, part of that first wave, was a graduate of the Minsk Medical School and is a physician and microbiologist. Husband Boris, a civil engineer and published author, taught at the Polytechnic Institute Welcome to Utah!

Michael Filshtinsky, who secured employmen t wit h the Christiansen Diamond Company in Utah, graduated from the Leningrad Mining Institute, while his wife Lena holds degrees from Leningrad's Institute of Architecture and Construction. Mikhail Boguslavsky, principal violinist with the Moscow Radio Symphony and the Moscow Philharmonic, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, reached Ne w York City with his wife Nina (who taught English to Pakistanis and chemists from Ceylon) before his move to Utah to play under conductor Maurice Abravanel.

Well—enough There is no space to mention bank managers, plastic specialists, computer experts, and the like. With rocket scientists or photographers, they found that Communism had failed the Soviet peoples Additionally, open or poorly hidden antiSemitism played a major role in upsetting their lives.

Author Kelen, after dividing his chosen newcomers to this land into this trio of waves (which some may consider trickles) gives full interview space to a typical member of each wave On e quickly comes to realize that the basic problem of anti-Semitism is long-lived in Russia, lasting from Czarist times through the postrevolutionary days of Lenin and Stalin and continuing to the present.

Many readers will find, as this reviewer did, that a twenty-page essay authored by the late Joseph Brodsky tells with the greatest clarity the specifics of life in the ex-USSR and its immediate predecessor. Harassment faced by the Brodsky family came despite the fact that his father was a captain of some importance in the Russian navy. The bleak life of the Brodsky trio in their betterthan-average, three-room apartment in St Petersburg will come as a reminder of the grim life of Russia's Jews, which compelled half a million of that land's present-day Jewish citizens to flee to the United States, Canada, Australia, South America—and, of course, Israel—as soon as barriers to migration began to fall—after Khruschev banged his shoe on a diplomatic table and after Gorbachev came All this happened, to be sure, after the end of the terrible Second World War and after the timely demise of Stalin.

The volume brings a reminder of Russia's almost-unimaginable "Doctors' Plot." Stalin became convinced, not long after the war, that Russia's best physicians and scientists (mostly Jewish), had secretly plotted his death. He soon had the non-existent plot's ringleaders arrested and executed Others were exiled—after proper "confessions," to be sure. Fortunately for the USSR and its doctors, the Soviet dictator's death by natural causes occurred in timely fashion before he could wipe out the nation's healers, including many "well-known Jewish physicians.

Kelen's thin volume reminds us how awesomely bad life in the workers' paradise has been—particularly for its people of Jewish backgrounds. One can only hope for improvement, while wishing the newcomers "well.

JACK GOODMAN Salt Lake City, Utah

Artists of Utah

By Robert S Olpin,William C Seifrit, and Vern G Swanson (Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1999 x + 297 pp $50.00.)

THIS IS THE THIRD large-size book by this well-qualified author team whose lives and professions are linked to the world of Utah art Its impressive size makes it a candidate for the center of conversation in homes and at reference desks alike Its content focuses public attention on the vibrant art community in Utah, both past and present. It confirms the long tradition of art in the state since it was settled by Mormon pioneers a century and a half ago.

Arranged in alphabetical form, Artists in Utah lists hundreds of names of artists who have lived and worked here. Better-known artists are featured with longer biographies while others, whose names may not be as familiar, are included with enough information to confirm that Utah has produced a wide variety of artists whose talents are appreciated and encouraged by its citizenry. Besides the artists who work independently, we are fortunate to have hundreds who teach and perpetuate this fine tradition within the elementary, secondary, and higher-education classrooms, thus guaranteeing that generations to come will have the good fortune of knowing and appreciating this heritage.

From the earliest artists, many of who m settled here in the mid-nineteenth century, to those who have chosen to move here more recently, the book details a wide variety of talents In the late 1800s the LDS church promoted art by sending promising artists to study at academies in Europe These artists are featured, and examples of their work are shown in fine photographs that add much to the book To demonstrate how up to date the research is, newer artists, many of whom are now teaching in art departments at colleges and universities, are also included It is evident that a large number of artists are independent, with studios and galleries in every part of the state.

Besides listing the names, dates, media, and other information about artists in Utah, the book includes a section on academies and pioneer arts, both of which impacted the state early on. While a first glance at this mammoth book might impress the reader that it is just a list of names and paragraphs about artists, a closer perusal confirms that the authors have been diligent in searching out artists at every level of success. It is more than a coffee table attraction It brings attention to the wide array of talent not only produced but encouraged in Utah. The scope of the art forms is as interesting as the places where the artists have studied and taught.

Included are artists who work with furniture, sculpture, woodcuts, ceramics, sandstone, calligraphy, china painting, photography, neon tubing, metals, textiles, etching and aluminum, and other media. The photographs in the book are worth the price and are clear and beautiful in their reproduction.

For those who have art in their home or office, this book is an important addition, as it brings the artist and the work together. It identifies the people who have contributed a piece to the purchaser/owner, attaching a personality to the creator In our own case, the art in our home is more than something beautiful; each is a work by a person we can identify in the book, giving more meaning to us as the purchasers The book has also whetted our appetite for pieces by other artists, some of whom we have met previously but with whom we now feel more of a kinship.

Anyone "who may question whether Utah is an art-oriented place need only to pick up Artists of Utah to be educated in the subject Whether it is used as a reference text to simply identify artists of the last 150 years or as a casual source of names, dates, and places, this book is one that has merit in many ways Its excellent photographic examples add a classy touch to the book Add to that the wealth of information about art in Utah, then and now, and you have a priceless source of good material deserving of one's attention The reader can savor it in small doses, picking it up for even a few minutes at a time just to learn more about Minerva Teichert, Jack Sears, Avard T. Fairbanks, Mahonri M.Young, Maynard M . Sorensen, Del Parson, Ted Wassmer, or Gaell Lindstrom, to name just a few.

Artists of Utah is a useful book to own or to give as a gift. The authors have done a magnificent job of gathering and presenting this information in a palatable style for professional or layperson to enjoy.

ELAINE REISER ALDER St George, Utah

Cowboy Poets and Cowboy Poetry

Edited by David Stanley and Elaine Thatcher (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2000 xiv + 392 pp Cloth, $49.95; paper, $21.95.)

PRIOR TO THE FIRST Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, in 1985 the term "cowboy poetry" was not part of the common language Some small towns or ranch crews had their own reciter who could recite the poems of Bruce Kiskadden, Curly Fletcher, or maybe Badger Clark from memory around the campfire after a day of work. Some magazines would publish a poem now and then, but nobody talked about the subject. Now, fifteen years later, we have this collection of essays on the subject. Cowboy poetry has arrived.

The first Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko attracted a few hundred people, primarily ranchers and cowboys Many of them had been reciting and/or writing poetry for years without knowing that anyone else was also doing it No w the event attracts thousands and fills all of the motel rooms in Elko every year. Americans are still in love with their cowboys, and cowboy poetry is one of the best ways to relate to them.

Cowboy poetry had its beginnings at around the turn of the last century, at the end of the time of the open range Many of the early cowboy poets were not native to the West. Badger Clark was the son of a minister from Iowa and South Dakota He went to Arizona for his health and observed rather than experienced the cowboy life Henry Herbert Knibbs was another easterner Bruce Kiskadden was born in Pennsylvania, but he worked as a cowboy on th e ope n range until , at age forty-eight , he wen t to Hollywood, where he worked as a bellboy in a hotel and wrote cowboy poetry for the Western Livestock Journal.

This is a good book for students of cowboy poetry There are essays on the origins of cowboy poetry, who the cowboy poets are and where they came from, and what cowboy poetry is, and there are interviews with and stories about the poets themselves. There are technical discussions, on the nature of cowboy poetry, that may only appeal to the real academics. There are discussions on the links to the Mexican vaquero and the South American gaucho; poems from the outback in Australia; connections to the Native Americans; and even a section on women cowboy poets.

This book documents the history of cowboy poetry. It discusses the links to English and Irish folk songs In fact, many of the old cowboy songs started as cowboy poetry. Some move from poem to song and then back to poem, depending on the performer's ability to carry a tune.

Many of the essays include samples of the poetry These samples are enough to make you want to find the book with the complete works of the poet Better still, they are enough to make you want to attend a cowboy poetry gathering—the signature gathering in Elko or one of the regional gatherings around the West.

The Elko gathering and the other regional gatherings have had a great effect on cowboy poetry People come to hear the poets because they are entertaining. As the essays in the book emphasize, cowboy poetry is an oral tradition Cowboy poetry is meant to be heard. The words and the stories in the hands of an entertaining reciter bring the stories to life and make the listeners feel like they are watching the story.

If you have heard a cowboy poet recite and you weren't sure that you should be enjoying it so much, this book will bring you comfort If you are a budding cowboy poet, or one "who has been writing and reciting for years, this book will have something for you If you are an English major or a "real poet" who thinks cowboy poetry is just doggerel, this book may give you some new insight A folklorist will definitely want this book on the shelf By the time you are through, you may even want to write a poem yourself.

KENT PETERSON Ferron, Utah