The Nature of Native American Poetry

Poet and professor Norma Wilson offers us eight concise chapters on eight living literary heroes--four men and four women--who are well known nationwide in Indian country but still exotic enough to pique the interest of mainstream readers. In passing, and particularly in her introduction and a concluding chapter entitled "The New Generation," Wilson makes cogent observations on many other Native poets. There is no better brief introduction to Native writing (most Natives begin writing as poets). Not a word is wasted, and the bibliography alone is worth the price of the book. Wilson's expert literary analysis bridges the gap between the Western European canon and oral tradition.