Janet Fitch's Blog - Posts Tagged "native-literature"
Reading list of Native Writers from Elissa Washuta's Twitter Feed
I saw this thread of Native American and First Nations Writers we should be reading now on Elissa Washuta's twitter feed and knew I had to share it on Goodreads. Washuta is the author of A BODY IS A BOOK OF RULES and STARVATION MODE.
She wrote: “I see some non-Native readers looking for recommendations of works by Native writers who aren't Sherman Alexie. It's honestly pretty tiring to fight for attention and only get it at times like these, but I'm willing to take the opening and make some recommendations:”
So glad you did, Elissa! I have to catch juicy recommendation lists like this whenever I can.
"BAD INDIANS: A TRIBAL MEMOIR" by Deborah Miranda
"NATURE POEM" by Tommy Pico --“A book-length poem about how an American Indian writer can’t bring himself to write about nature but is forced to reckon with colonial-white stereotypes.”
"PERMA RED" by Debra Magpie Earling [I’m hearing a lot about this one] Novel.
"THIS IS THE PLACE"—Anthology, a NYT Book Review Editor’s Choice, asking “What makes a home?”
"FROM THE HILLTOP" by Toni Jensen. Short stories.
"CRAZY HORSE'S GIRLFRIEND" by Erika Wurth. Novel
Zines created by Demian DineYazhi
"ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT RESCUE" by M.L. Smoker. Poetry
"THE BEGINNING AND END OF RAPE" by Sarah Deer. [Confronting sexual violence in Native America]
"WHERE THE BULLET BREAKS" by Casandra Lopez. Poetry chapbook.
"THIS WOUND IS A WORLD" by Billy-Ray Belcourt “Just read everything.”
“Read Everything by Michael Wasson.”
“Read Everything by Jake Skeets.” Poetry.
"SOVEREIGN EROTICS: A Collection of Two-Spirit Literature" edited by Qwo-Li Driskill, Daniel Heath Justice, Deborah Miranda and Lisa Tatonetti.
"REINVENTING THE ENEMY'S LANGUAGE," Anthology of writing by Native women.
"NAMING CEREMONY" by Chip Livingson. Fiction. [He also has a new novel "Owls Don’t Have to Mean Death."]
"THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED A BEAR" by Tiffany Midge. Essays.
Byron Aspaas, nonfiction.
Sasha LaPointe, essays.
"ROCK, GHOST, WILLOW, DEER" by Allison Hedge Coke. Nonfiction.
"GENESIS" by Crisosto Apache
“Read everything by Held E. Erdrich.” Poetry.
"HYPERBOREAL" by Joan Naviyuk Kane. Poetry
"THIS IS PARADISE" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
"THE TAO OF RAVEN" and "BLONDE INDIAN" by Ernestine Hayes.
"MONKEY BEACH" by Eden Robinson. “One of my favorite novels.” She has a new one, "Son of a Trickster."
“David Treuer’s Native American Fiction: A User’s Manual was influential to me as a young writer.”
Stephen Graham Jones
Alicia Elliot
"THE LESSER BLESSED" by Richard Van Camp
"THE GRASS DANCER" by Susan Power
"MIKO KINGS" By LeAnne Howe
"WORDS LIKE LOVE" by Tanaya Winder
"WHEREAS" by Layli Long Soldier
"TRAIL OF LIGHTNING" by Rebecca Roanhorse (not yet out).
"TRIBUTARIES" by Laura Da’. Poetry.
Kenzie Allen, poet.
"LEAVING TULSA" by Jennifer Foerster
"SHE HAD SOME HORSES" by Joy Harjo
"STRANGER IN TOWN" by Cedar Sigo. Poetry.
Travino Brings Plenty. Poet.
"THERE THERE" by Tommy Orange. Novel. (Coming soon)
"AS WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance" by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
Ruby Hansen Murray—available online.
Natanya Ann Pulley.
"WHY INDIGENOUS LITERATURE MATTERS" by Daniel Heath Justice. (Coming soon)
"PASSAGE" by Gwen Benaway. Poetry.
"FULL METAL INDIGIQUEER" by Joshua Whitehead. Poetry.
Readers of Washuta’s twitter thread added some favorites of their own. Some are older writers which maybe Washuta assumed non-Native people had already heard about:
"Writer in the Blood" by James Welch [His novel "Fool’s Crow" has long been a favorite of mine]
"The Dance Boots" by Linda LeGarde Grover
“Adding names I don’t see... Joy Harjo, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Leslie Marmon Silko, Paula Gunn Allen, Louis Owen, Simon J. Ortiz, Luci Tapahanso, Natalie Diaz, Linda Hogan.”
"Mean Spirit" by Linda Hogan
"Exploding Chippewas" by Mark Turcotte.
As many of you know, I’m already completely reeling from reading "HEART BERRIES" by Terese Marie Maillot,. You can read my review here on Goodreads. I cannot wait to dig into this list. Thank you Elissa!
She wrote: “I see some non-Native readers looking for recommendations of works by Native writers who aren't Sherman Alexie. It's honestly pretty tiring to fight for attention and only get it at times like these, but I'm willing to take the opening and make some recommendations:”
So glad you did, Elissa! I have to catch juicy recommendation lists like this whenever I can.
"BAD INDIANS: A TRIBAL MEMOIR" by Deborah Miranda
"NATURE POEM" by Tommy Pico --“A book-length poem about how an American Indian writer can’t bring himself to write about nature but is forced to reckon with colonial-white stereotypes.”
"PERMA RED" by Debra Magpie Earling [I’m hearing a lot about this one] Novel.
"THIS IS THE PLACE"—Anthology, a NYT Book Review Editor’s Choice, asking “What makes a home?”
"FROM THE HILLTOP" by Toni Jensen. Short stories.
"CRAZY HORSE'S GIRLFRIEND" by Erika Wurth. Novel
Zines created by Demian DineYazhi
"ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT RESCUE" by M.L. Smoker. Poetry
"THE BEGINNING AND END OF RAPE" by Sarah Deer. [Confronting sexual violence in Native America]
"WHERE THE BULLET BREAKS" by Casandra Lopez. Poetry chapbook.
"THIS WOUND IS A WORLD" by Billy-Ray Belcourt “Just read everything.”
“Read Everything by Michael Wasson.”
“Read Everything by Jake Skeets.” Poetry.
"SOVEREIGN EROTICS: A Collection of Two-Spirit Literature" edited by Qwo-Li Driskill, Daniel Heath Justice, Deborah Miranda and Lisa Tatonetti.
"REINVENTING THE ENEMY'S LANGUAGE," Anthology of writing by Native women.
"NAMING CEREMONY" by Chip Livingson. Fiction. [He also has a new novel "Owls Don’t Have to Mean Death."]
"THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED A BEAR" by Tiffany Midge. Essays.
Byron Aspaas, nonfiction.
Sasha LaPointe, essays.
"ROCK, GHOST, WILLOW, DEER" by Allison Hedge Coke. Nonfiction.
"GENESIS" by Crisosto Apache
“Read everything by Held E. Erdrich.” Poetry.
"HYPERBOREAL" by Joan Naviyuk Kane. Poetry
"THIS IS PARADISE" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
"THE TAO OF RAVEN" and "BLONDE INDIAN" by Ernestine Hayes.
"MONKEY BEACH" by Eden Robinson. “One of my favorite novels.” She has a new one, "Son of a Trickster."
“David Treuer’s Native American Fiction: A User’s Manual was influential to me as a young writer.”
Stephen Graham Jones
Alicia Elliot
"THE LESSER BLESSED" by Richard Van Camp
"THE GRASS DANCER" by Susan Power
"MIKO KINGS" By LeAnne Howe
"WORDS LIKE LOVE" by Tanaya Winder
"WHEREAS" by Layli Long Soldier
"TRAIL OF LIGHTNING" by Rebecca Roanhorse (not yet out).
"TRIBUTARIES" by Laura Da’. Poetry.
Kenzie Allen, poet.
"LEAVING TULSA" by Jennifer Foerster
"SHE HAD SOME HORSES" by Joy Harjo
"STRANGER IN TOWN" by Cedar Sigo. Poetry.
Travino Brings Plenty. Poet.
"THERE THERE" by Tommy Orange. Novel. (Coming soon)
"AS WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance" by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
Ruby Hansen Murray—available online.
Natanya Ann Pulley.
"WHY INDIGENOUS LITERATURE MATTERS" by Daniel Heath Justice. (Coming soon)
"PASSAGE" by Gwen Benaway. Poetry.
"FULL METAL INDIGIQUEER" by Joshua Whitehead. Poetry.
Readers of Washuta’s twitter thread added some favorites of their own. Some are older writers which maybe Washuta assumed non-Native people had already heard about:
"Writer in the Blood" by James Welch [His novel "Fool’s Crow" has long been a favorite of mine]
"The Dance Boots" by Linda LeGarde Grover
“Adding names I don’t see... Joy Harjo, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Leslie Marmon Silko, Paula Gunn Allen, Louis Owen, Simon J. Ortiz, Luci Tapahanso, Natalie Diaz, Linda Hogan.”
"Mean Spirit" by Linda Hogan
"Exploding Chippewas" by Mark Turcotte.
As many of you know, I’m already completely reeling from reading "HEART BERRIES" by Terese Marie Maillot,. You can read my review here on Goodreads. I cannot wait to dig into this list. Thank you Elissa!
