Leslie Marmon Silko ─ A Literary Companion

This companion, appropriate for the lay reader and the researcher, provides analysis of characters, plots, humor, symbols, philosophies, and classic themes from the writings and tellings of Leslie Marmon Silko, the celebrated novelist, poet, memoirist and Native American wisewoman. The text opens with an annotated chronology of Silko's multiracial heritage, life and works, followed by a family tree of the Leslie-Marmon families that clarifies relationships of the people who fill her autobiographical musings. In the main text, 87 A-to-Z entries combine literary and cultural commentary with generous citations from primary and secondary sources and comparisons to classic and popular literature. Back matter includes a glossary of Pueblo terms and a list of 43 questions for research, writing projects, and discussion. This much-needed text will aid both scholars and casual readers interested in the work and career of the first internationally-acclaimed native woman author in the United States.

Mary Ellen Snodgrass, a resident of Hickory, North Carolina, is an award-winning author of textbooks and reference works, including a number of volumes in the McFarland Literary Companions series. In addition to teaching at Lenoir Rhyne University, she serves the state as a traveling lecturer for the Humanities Commission and a board member of the state library commission.