Evidence of Red: Poems and Prose

by LeAnne Howe

Evidence of Redcontains dramatic events of the creation of a people, interwoven with a haunting narrative of their lost homelands. Howe takes her readers through the chaos of lost lives, the cannibalism of fallen lovers, and invites readers into her world of Choctaw Code Talking. These poems are rebellious and like the Choctaws, they will endure.

Genres: Poetry, Indigenous, Short Stories, Native American

112 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

LeAnne Howe is the author of three books, including Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story (Aunt Lute Books, 2007), and is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. In 2006-2007 she was the John and Renee Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi at Oxford. She was the screenwriter for Indian Country Diaries: Spiral of Fire, a 90-minute PBS documentary released in November 2006. Howe's first novel, Shell Shaker (Aunt Lute Books, 2001), received an American Book Award in 2002. Her poetry collection, Evidence of Red (Salt Publishing, UK; 2005), was awarded the 2006 Oklahoma Book Award. Currently, Howe is Associate Professor and Interim Director of American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and teaches in the M.F.A. program there. She divides her time between her home in Ada, Oklahoma and her academic life in Illinois.

Reviews

[Britton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of poetry and prose. Witty, political, and funny. This is my favorite book that has been assigned reading in my Native American Women Writers class, but it doesn't have to be assigned reading for anyone to enjoy.

[Kila Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is heavy on the prose despite the subtitle listing poems first. There are also some scenes in the book and this collection is more truly hybrid than most I've read. Some of the poetry was good, but the prose was not very poetic. Howe seems to be trying to write in a way that's plain to understand, but the pieces often border on didactic and the writing was often dry, lacking energy and flow.

I did like some of the poems and can still appreciate that this is an important book. It's a great read if you are interested in hybrid collections, Native American literature, or are looking for more writing about AIM and decolonization. There are several characters and persona pieces in the collection and anger and grief play a big role in the content, tone, and movement of the collection.

[Lois Bozilovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25🌟