Storyteller (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
- First Published: 1981
- Type of Work: Short stories, poems, autobiographical sketches
- Genres: Criticism, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir, Short fiction, Poetry, Folklore, Biography
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Culture, History, Family or family life, Tradition, Mythology or myths, Racism, Nature, Literature, Native Americans or American Indians, Storytelling, Gods or goddesses, Photography or photographers, Lifestyles, Oral history, Rites or ceremonies, Letters, Peru or Peruvians
- Locales: New Mexico, Southwest (U.S.), Alaska
The unifying theme of the short stories and poems of Storyteller might be considered Silko's life itself. Punctuated with photographs of the Laguna reservation and surrounding landscape, often taken by her father, Storyteller seeks to assert the importance and vitality of an oral culture. Many of the tales included were told to Silko by her relatives; although not always understanding their import at the time, Silko came to realize that such stories include practical or moral instruction. Other tales and poems are imaginative reconstructions of ancient myths or are...
[The entire page is 916 words long]
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