Here First: Autobiographical Essays by Native American Writers

Book Overview

An important collection of essays by twenty-six Native American writers that explores their unique lives, art, and the complex issues of identity, compiled by the editors of I Tell You Now: Autobiographical Essays by Native American Writers

The stunning essays in Here First demonstrate the breadth of experience of twenty-six individuals united in the creative expression of a Native American heritage. Each has a different relation to that heritage, and in describing it through personal and family history, with verse and in anecdotes, the writers give a strong image of the different cultures that have shaped them.
This is a vivid and diverse portrait of Native American culture, a living history and the kind of collective memoir that makes for fascinating and rewarding reading.

Contributors include:
Sherman Alexie - Carroll Arnett (Gogisgi) - Betty Louise Bell - Duane Bigeagle - Gloria Bird - Kimberly M. Blaeser - Nora Marks Dauenhauer - Charlotte Declue (Kawashinsay) - Anita Endrezze - Hanay Geiogamah - Gordon Henry, Jr., - Patricia Penn Hilden - Roberta Hill - Leanne Howe - Rex Lee Jim - Evelina Zuni Lucero - Louis Owens - W.S. Penn - Greg Sarris - Vickie Sears - John E. Smelcer - Luci Tapahonso - Clifford E. Trafzer - Anna Lee Walters Elizabeth Woody - Ofelia Zepeda

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375751386
• ISBN13: 9780375751387
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Modern Library
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Truly fantastic book!

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Each chapter is written by an author who shares some of his or her life with the reader - each from different tribes and nations. Not your typical "mystical, Lakota focused, written for a white audience" book. I purchased this book to help other non-Native people like myself understand and develop a broader awareness of the experience of literary Native America and it was well worth the time. I highly recommend this book. It's a great way to introduce yourself to new authors as well.