??k’iddaa’ jini. The stories begin.In poems that exude the warmth of an afternoon in the southwestern sun, Hershman John draws readers into a world both familiar and utterly new. Raised on a reservation and in boarding schools, then educated at a state university, John writes as a contemporary Navajo poet. His is a new voice—one that understands life on both sides of the canyon that divides, but does not completely separate, the Din© people from their neighbors who live outside the reservation. His poetry draws freely from tribal myths and legends, and like its creator, it lives outside the reservation too. Perhaps that is why they seem so unspoiled, so sparkling. They are like gemstones that we have never seen. And we are dazzled.With their recurring images of sheep, coyotes, and crows—and an ever-present Navajo grandmother—these poems carry echoes of an ancient time that seems to exist in parallel with our own. The people who live in them bear, as if woven strand by strand into their souls, the culture and traditions of the Glittering World. Although these poems are lush with imagery of sunbaked lands, they are never sentimental. Throughout this collection, the poet’s voice is confident, assured, and engaged with life in a messy world. It is a world in which animated spirits dwell comfortably with modern machinery, where the spiritual resides with the all-too-human. This is a welcoming universe. It invites us to enter, to linger, to savor, and to learn.
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“John’s vivid and descriptive language distinguishes him from his many lesser peers.” —Tucson Weekly “Hershman John’s courage, sure grounding in his world, and formal and linguistic skill make this an impressive first book.” —Studies in American Indian Literature
About the Author
Hershman R. John was born in Carson, California, and grew up on the Navajo Reservation in Sand Springs, Arizona. He earned his BA in English and his MFA in poetry at Arizona State University. He teaches composition, creative writing, and American Indian literature at Phoenix College.
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Navajo Poetry - Native American,
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This review is from: I Swallow Turquoise for Courage (Sun Tracks) (Paperback)
It was purchased as a gift for a person collecting Southwestern Native American history/stories/poetry etc. She has enjoyed it very much and recommends it!
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I Swallow Turquoise for Courage,
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This review is from: I Swallow Turquoise for Courage (Sun Tracks) (Paperback)
Hershmann John's "I Swallow Turquoise for Courage" is filled with wonder connected with the earthy spirit and wisdom stemming from his life heritage and experience in the American Indian Culture.I travel through his writings so easily connected and with such awareness that as I read it feels like I too have experienced life as he describes myself. I highly recommend this book.
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