The Cambridge Companion to Native American Literature

An informative and wide-ranging overview of Native American literature from the 1770s to present day.

The Companion to Native American Literature provides a wide-ranging overview of a relatively new field of literary-cultural studies, covering literatures in English by American Indians of many genres from the 1770s to present day, and including maps, author bio-bibliographies, and a timeline of major literary works and historical events.Invisible, marginal, expected - these words trace the path of recognition for American Indian literature written in English since the late eighteenth century. This Companion chronicles and celebrates that trajectory by defining relevant institutional, historical, cultural, and gender contexts, by outlining the variety of genres written since the 1770s, and also by focusing on significant authors who established a place for Native literature in literary canons in the 1970s (Momaday, Silko, Welch, Ortiz, Vizenor), achieved international recognition in the 1980s (Erdrich), and performance-celebrity status in the 1990s (Harjo and Alexie). In addition to the seventeen chapters written by respected experts - Native and non-Native; American, British and European scholars - the Companion includes bio-bibliographies of forty authors, maps, suggestions for further reading, and a timeline which details major works of Native American literature and mainstream American literature, as well as significant social, cultural and historical events. An essential overview of this powerful literature.