![]() ![]() At the same time, however, to be " marginally mainstream" suggests that these texts continue to speak eloquently to Native audiences in meaningful ways. I identify factors that created a favorable reception for their works, and most importantly, I explore what it means for these authors to be "marginally mainstream." On the one hand, to be "marginally mainstream" is to be deemed worthy of recognition by the critical establishment, which often entails overemphasizing "universal" literary qualities to the detriment of tribally specific elements. Scott Momaday (Kiowa), Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo), Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe), and Sherman Alexie (Spokane-Coeur d'Alene) as the four Native authors who have been most frequently singled out for attention and "canonized" within mainstream American culture. Nevertheless, it was the singular achievement of Ceremony that first secured her a place among the first rank of Native American novelists. For example, Tayo observes that: First time you walked down the street in Gallup or Albuquerque, you knew. Silko has followed the critical success of Ceremony with a series of other novels, including Storyteller, Almanac for the Dead, and Gardens in the Dunes. Racism alienated the Natives from the whites and this made them feel out of place. Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist Leslie Marmon Silko is known for her lyric treatment of Native American subjects. This chapter explains how particular Native writers in the US have come to serve as reference points and to receive widespread recognition, while others, equally worthy, have not. Silko uses metaphorical borders to elaborate the effect of racism on the Natives. ![]()
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