America Stories: A Reading Road Trip, Nevada

A PBS Books & Library of Congress Initiative

Saddle up and join PBS Books and the Library of Congress as they travel to Nevada for the next stop in American Stories: A Reading Road Trip. This episode highlights Nevada's long literary tradition, from early frontier accounts to modern voices redefining storytelling in the American West.

Nevada's writing heritage includes iconic contributors such as Mark Twain, Sarah Winnemucca, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, and Robert Laxalt, whose works illuminate the history, challenges, and landscapes of the Silver State. Contemporary authors, including Shaun Griffin, Gailmarie Pahmeier, Gabriel Urza, and Michael Brand, continue that tradition today, offering rich perspectives rooted in Nevada's environment and culture.

Featured Books & Authors of Nevada

Nevada's literary history spans frontier memoirs, Indigenous autobiography, Western classics, and contemporary essays and poetry. This episode showcases:

Historic & Iconic Authors

• Mark Twain: Roughing It: Insights from his time reporting in Virginia City.
• Sarah Winnemucca: Life Among the Paiutes: A foundational Indigenous memoir and activist work.
• Walter Van Tilburg Clark: The Ox-Bow Incident, The City of Trembling Leaves: Moral depth within the Western tradition.
• Robert Laxalt: Sweet Promised Land: A defining story of Basque American identity.
• Additional frontier voices include Idah Meacham Strobridge, Virginia Reed Murphy, Sarah Royce, Helen Stewart, and explorer John C. Fremont. 
   

Contemporary Authors

• Shaun Griffin: Anthem for a Burnished Land: Poetry rooted in Nevada's landscapes and communities.
• Gailmarie Pahmeier: Of Bone, of Ash, of Ordinary Saints: Reflections on everyday lives in Nevada.
• Gabriel Urza: The Silver State: Modern stories carrying on the Laxalt family's literary tradition.
• Michael Branch: On the Trail of the Jackalope and other works blending humour, nature writing, and Western identity.

Join PBS Books and the Library of Congress for the Nevada episode of American Stories: A Reading Road Trip this March 18th at 5 PM PT. on Facebook Live, PBS Books YouTube Channel, PBS App, PBSBooks.org/ReadingRoadTrip.

For other Nevada Resources from the Library of Congress, please visit guides.loc.gov/nevada-state-guide/