Synopses & Reviews
Review
andldquo;The journey backward becomes the journey forward in Gwen Nell Westermanandrsquo;s remarkable debut, Follow the Blackbirds, revealing how history endures in the land, in the family, and in the self...andrdquo;
andmdash;James Cihlar, author of Rancho Nostalgia and Undoing
Review
andldquo;Gwen Nell Westerman writes wonderfully of finding the good way home with the help of the old people and the beautiful redwing blackbirds. Her familyandrsquo;s story is that of Indians lost, marginalized, doing the dirty work and yet surviving, moving from Oklahoma and many other places across the continent, and guided by grandmothers back through the Rez into the good life. The poems are quiet and powerful, understated and deeply moving.andrdquo;
andmdash;Carter Revard, Professor of English Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis
Synopsis
In language as perceptive as it is poignant, poet Gwen Nell Westerman builds a world in words that reflects the past, present, and future of the Dakota people. An intricate balance between the singularity of personal experience and the unity of collective longing, Follow the Blackbirds speaks to the affection and appreciation a contemporary poet feels for her family, community, and environment.
About the Author
Gwen Nell Westerman, an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, is Professor in English and Director of Humanities at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and is coauthor of Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota.