SMOKE RISING: The Native North American Literary...

SMOKE RISING: The Native North American Literary Companion edited by Joseph Bruchac, Janet Witalee and Sharon Malinowski (Visible Ink: $17.95; 464 pp., illustrated, paperback original). This handsome anthology includes the work of 37 authors of American Indian descent. Although the selections depict the experiences of Native Americans, three recurring themes give the poetry and prose an appeal that transcends ethnic boundaries: returning home after struggling against a hostile world; resolution of intergenerational conflict; the need to balance past and present in a coherent identity. Many of these writers already enjoy a wide readership--Louise Erdrich, Michael Dorris, N. Scott Momaday. But “Smoke Rising” also offers mainstream readers an introduction to Sherman Alexie’s delightfully sardonic stories and Beth Brant’s powerful portrait of a young Mohawk man finding the strength in ancient wisdom to face his death from AIDS.