A Frank Waters Reader: A Southwestern Life In Writing

by Frank Waters, Thomas J. Lyon (Editor)

Over the course of his life, Frank Waters amassed a body of work that has few equals in the literature of the American West. Because his was a writing that touched every facet of the Western experience, his voice still echoes throughout that region’s literary world. Swallow Press is especially proud to present this generous sampling of Frank Waters’s writings. A Frank Waters Reader encompasses the full range of his work and draws from both his nonfiction and his many novels. It stands as a testament to his singular achievement and proof of the talent that established him as the foremost writer in the Southwest. This collection spanning forty years of writing provides an excellent introduction for the uninitiated as well as a retrospective for those already familiar with this giant talent. His gift for achieving a delicate balance among the many contrary forces at work in the land and the people who inhabit it is as true and enduring as the region that inspired him.

322 pages, Hardcover

First published December 20, 2000

About the author

Frank Waters was an American novelist, essayist, and cultural historian best known for his profound explorations of the American Southwest and Native American spirituality. Deeply influenced by his Cheyenne heritage and early experiences on the Navajo Reservation, Waters wove themes of indigenous identity, mysticism, and the clash between tradition and modernity into much of his work. His celebrated novel The Man Who Killed the Deer (1942) is considered a cornerstone of Southwestern literature, offering a powerful portrayal of a Pueblo man’s internal struggle with cultural dislocation. Over the decades, Waters produced an impressive body of work, including both fiction and non-fiction, such as Book of the Hopi, Mexico Mystique, and The Colorado, which blended mythology, history, and esoteric thought. A strong advocate for the arts, he held various editorial and academic positions and was honored with several awards. His legacy lives on through the Frank Waters Foundation, which supports writers and artists in the spirit of his creative vision.

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived in the same house Frank Waters' lived in when he was writing the Book of the Hopi, in New Oriabi, Arizona. Same little house, with gas lamps, only it had a toilet in the bedroom and a bathtub in the kitchen. And I have more in common with Frank Waters, it seems. He grew up in Colorado Springs, and wrote about living in Shooks Run (I lived in Shooks Run) and the unbearably snobby people that live there and run things (not changed when I lived there). He developed a kinship with Native Americans and wrote about their primitive religion that encompassed a holistic universe. He lived around Santa Fe and Taos, and wrote about life in the pueblos, and outside of them. All in all, it brought many forgotten memories to my mind, and reminded me of what I (used to ) think was important. Maybe I've forgotten that and need to remember more. Great reading. Thanks, Mr. Waters.