Blue Horses Rush In: Poems and Stories (Sun Tracks)

Description

Blue Horses Rush In takes its title from a poem about the birth of her granddaughter Chamisa, whose heart "pounded quickly and we recognized / the sound of horses running:/ the thundering of hooves on the desert floor." Through such personal insights, this collection follows the cycle of a woman's life and underlines woman's life and underlines what it means to be Navajo in the late twentieth century. The book marks a major accomplishment in American literature for its successful blending of Navajo cultural values and forms with the English language while at the same time retaining the Navajo character. Here, Luci Tapahonso walks slowly through an ancient Hohokam village, recalling stories passed down from generation to generation. Later in the book, she may be telling a funny story about a friend, then, within a few pages, describing family rituals like roasting green chiles or baking bread in an outside oven. Throughout, Tapahonso shares with readers her belief in the power of pollen and prayer feathers and sacred songs.

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Customer Reviews

Beautiful and Familiar
Luci Tapahonso delivers another beautiful collection of poems and stories centered around her Navajo culture. Like most of her works, her emphasis is on family and community, and on the ties that bind us invisibly and lovingly to each other and to our homeland. The stories and poems are at times touching and funny, revealing the human being behind the sorrows and joys of everyday living. If you like happy endings, family values, and good old-fashioned heartfelt love, this will become your favorite book. It is at once beautiful and familiar -- these are your experiences and emotions as much as the poet's, whether you are a Navajo or not. Don't skip "In Praise of Texas," in which the narrator reflects the thinnest hopes and dreams which live in all of us, and which "blossom without any urging on our part" (13)

1997-07-10 | Helpful Votes: 11 | Rating: 5

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A Radiant Curve: Poems and Stories (Sun Tracks)

Description

In this sixth collection of stories and verse, award-winning writer Luci Tapahonso finds sacredness in everyday life. Viewing a sunset in a desert sky, listening to her granddaughter recount how she spent her day, or visiting her mother after her father's passing, she finds traces of her own memories, along with echoes of the voices of her Navajo ancestors. The collection includes an audio CD of the author reading aloud from the book as well and her own voice is warm and inviting, like the “simmering soup and blue corn meal” of her childhood. These engaging words draw us into a workaday world that, magically but never surprisingly, has room for the Diyin Dine’é (the Holy People), Old Salt Woman, and Dawn Boy. When she describes her grandson’s First Laugh Ceremony—explaining that it was originally performed for White Shell Girl, who grew up to be Changing Woman—her account enriches us and we long to hear more. Tapahonso weaves the Navajo language into her work like she weaves “the first four rows of black yarn” into a rug she is making “for my little grandson, who inherited my father’s name: Hastiin Tsétah Naaki Bísóí.” As readers, we find that we too are surrounded by silent comfort, held lovingly in the confident hands of an accomplished writer who has a great deal to tell us about life.

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Seasonal Woman: Luci Tapahonso

Description

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Saanii Dahataat: The Women Are Singing : Poems and Stories (Sun Tracks, Vol 23)

Description

A cycle of poetry and stories by the Navajo writer explores her memories of home in Shiprock, New Mexico; of significant events such as birth, partings, and reunions; and of life with her family. By the author of Seasonal Woman. Simultaneous.

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Customer Reviews

A journey of love...
Luci Tapahonso's voice is one of the most beautiful in contemporary Native American literature. Her poetry usually revolves around family, community, interpersonal relationships -- those things which my dear uncle says are the only things that really matter in this life anyway. When reading this volume, you will get the feeling that you are sitting at the kitchen table with Luci, her family and your family, listening to old stories, new stories, gossip and adventures. SAANII DAHATAAL also contains one of her most popular poems, "Raisin Eyes" -- and ladies, be honest...we've all been in Ella's shoes!! Try this book, and you'll love it -- then try Ms. Tapahonso's other books, and you will be an admirer forever. Her newest, BLUE HORSES RUSH IN, is probably her best collection ever, although this one is certainly no sloucher! Read this book, and you'll never regret buying it

1997-07-18 | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 4

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Biography - Tapahonso, Luci (1953-): An article from: Contemporary Authors

Description

This digital document, covering the life and work of Luci Tapahonso, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1758 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

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A Breeze Swept Through: Poetry

Description

This popular poetry volume expresses Navajo lifein its wholeness and sweetness, stressing thecolloquial wisdom, humor, and courage of ordinaryNavajo people. Some of the text is in Navajo. JoeBruchac says of the author of this volume, "Shepresents a wide cast of characters, talking, living, arguing, even dying against the background of a place and a time which are uniquely Native American, yet accessible to a wide range of readers."

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Customer Reviews

Wonderful evocation of Rez life today in the Navajo Nation
If you are missing the taste of dust and sagebrush or want to here people talking on the rez or see life here made beautiful like a ceremony would do-then read this book. It's funny and makes voices ring in your head.I especialy liked "a descreet conversation" and"raisin eyes" and"Yaadi' La'". If you have never been here it will take you there. Includes some parts of peoms in Navajo. Sa ah Naaghai Bik'eh Hozho

1997-05-02 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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