To those looking for an entry point to Krupat's scholarship, or to Native American literary criticism, here is the place to start. Krupat's work is clear, but uses Native American literature to raise perplexing questions about problems of identity and their expression through literature. I do not agree with everything in Ethnocriticism, but I also return to time after time to sharpen my understanding of the difficulty of reading Native American literature. Were I to recommend to someone with an interest in the field a short list of critical works, I would start with this and with Craig Womack's Red on Red.

This book never appeared. It WILL appear in June under the title Here First from Random House. You should delete it from your records (or whatever you call it). Again, there is not and never was any Everything Matters--even though the publisher did advertise it as available.

There is no one named Frances Ferguson in any way associated with For Those Who Come After. The paperback edition has a forward by Paul John Eakin. Please correct your entry.

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.

Arnold Krupat's 'The Turn to the Native' is a unique bit of literary criticism. One of the few studies of American Indian (or 'Indian,' to use Sherman Alexie's preferred term) literature, aside from Ruoff's 'American Indian Literatures' and Graulich's 'Yellow Woman,' featuring Leslie Marmon Silko, Krupat's book examines major themes of Indian literature as well as the role of the non-Indian when reading Indian books.

'The Turn to the Native,' while it serves as a nice overview of major themes, especially post-Colonialism and the ideologies through which Westerners always tend to view Indian literature, concerns itself largely with Gerald Vizenor and his 'Heirs of Columbus' (two out of the four 'criticism' chapters are devoted to Vizenor, and a full one of them is devoted to 'Heirs.') Krupat identifies some of the Sartrian influences (and refutations thereof) in 'Heirs,' while placing the book squarely in the larger context of postcolonial literature and literary theory as a whole.

But the main theme of the book is IDENTITY, which he fully explores in the last (and byfar the longest) chapter, 'A Nice Jewish Boy Among the Indians.' While obstinately about the role of the non-Indian reader in general (and the non-Indian critic in particular) in exploring and reading Indian literature, it really serves as a model for later criticisms of Indian work (and, I'll admit, it helped me in my own journey into this subject far more than 'traditional' criticism ever did). Told in the form of a story (what else?), it tells Krupat's story as a Jewish-American immigrant and the offspring of Holocaust survivors, who share quite a bit in common with the Indians who, in their own way, are survivors of a different kind of Holocaust. From that basis, Krupat manages to make several statements about the role of non-Indian critics (shaky at best) and non-Indian readers (sorry, you just won't 'get' all of it). As a non-Indian, it was refreshing to read, and it helped me immensely in organizing my thoughts about Indian literature and my place as a 'twinkie' in it.

Essential reading for anyone doing scholarly work in Native American or Indian literature. Makes an excellent companion piece to 'The Heirs of Columbus.'

A book that challenges white male assumptions of "canonical merit". This is an impressive and breath-takingly insightful look at eurocentrism and its cronies, while advocating the genuinely important experiences of Native Americans and the tradition of narrative they have so bravely created.

The Norton Anthology of American literature is a great collection of the most prominent and prolific authors in this young nation's history. The Anthology covers the development of authors in the new world, from the early native American folk tales to the works of Toni Morrison and Allen Ginsberg. The anthology spans poetry and prose and gives the reader a great cross sectional view of American society and its problems. The presence of Native American, Black and Hispanic authors presents a complete line up of works of literature, presented in a pleasant chronological order and introduced by a brief and interesting description of the author's life and works. The introductory description of each author facilitates the contextual placement of the text and its comprehension. The anthology contains several novels such as "Howl", "Sula" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The presence of these complete works makes the anthology more complete, as they are an important part of the American literary tradition. The selection of authors and of their works is a good one, but presents some flaws. Obviously not being able to include all relevant authors in the American literary tradition, the editors selected a large number of authors, and their most important works. Nonetheless several important texts seem to be missing. Texts by less prolific authors, such as the great new classic "To kill a mockingbird" are missing. Although the anthology gives the reader an introduction on the author and his works it does not stimulate sufficiently through interesting points to be discussed and questions which shed light on hidden or obscure aspects of the texts. The anthology is a great tool for any class, or for the passionate reader. It is ideal if accompanied by a class or group/club in which the texts are discussed.

The Norton anthology is the definitive collection of American literature. Its selections range from the letters of Christopher Columbus to quintessential American works like Whitman's "Song of Myself" and inherently American movements such as beat poetry. The collection offers a wide spread selection of works, some of which fall outside of your typical definition of "literature." All, however, have been important parts of our artistic tradition and provide literary examples of the coming of age of America. Literature has truly helped to define the American identity. This book is a history lesson, a journey through some of the most beautiful poetry and prose ever written and a testament to the kind of intelligent, passionate people that have formed our country.

To anyone seeking an encompassing overview of American literature, here is your book. This, the latest edition of the Norton Anthology, not only makes for months of good reading but also acts as a good primer for further pursuits in American letters (academic and otherwise.) Besides the countless number of excellent selections, eleven works appear in their entirety. Among them, Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Whitman's "Song of Myself," and Ginsburg's "Howl."

The anthology also contains several new additions - most notably an intriguing section of Native American trickster tales that provides an interesting counter to Chris Columbus' over-zealous ramblings. As for more contemporary writing, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of deserving writers and poets newly anthologized in this revision: Toni Morrison, Raymond Carver, and Sandra Cisneros just to name a few.

Yet what makes this anthology truly successful is the breadth and depth of the text as a whole. The selections, the organization, the well-written bits of biographical information... IT ALL FITS PERFECTLY! No doubt other readers will find this anthology as informative, provocative and enjoyable as I do. A definite keeper for my permanent collection.