First Impressions of A. LaVonne Brown Ruoff as an Author

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 2005

Publication Title

Studies in American Indian Literatures

Volume

17

Issue

2

First page number:

87

Last page number:

88

Abstract

In January 1996 I enrolled in my first course in American Indian literatures. As a neophyte in the field, I searched for texts that could help me with the new concepts I was learning, ideas that would enhance my understanding of native authors and their works. One of the first books I purchased was American Indian Literatures: An Introduction, Bibliographic Review, and Selected Bibliography, by A. LaVonne Brown Ruoff (1990). A blurb on the back cover by SAIL summarizes my first impressions of the book, which I read from cover to cover, underlining, highlighting, and annotating: “The first thing likely to strike the reader upon opening LaVonne Ruoff’s new volume is the range, variety, and richness of American Indian Literatures. . . . Well conceived and well executed, [the book] will be welcomed by students and teachers who are approaching the subject for the first time.” As both student and teacher, I appreciated the comprehensive introduction that Ruoff provides in this work. For someone who was at the beginning of the learning curve, the book was a welcome resource. In fact, I kept hoping that she would eventually publish a new edition of this work, bringing it up to date with the wealth of publications that have followed since its first appearance.

Keywords

American literature--Indian authors; Indians of North America

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | English Language and Literature | Indigenous Studies | Literature in English, North America | Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies

Language

English

Permissions

American literature--Indian authors; Indians of North America

UNLV article access

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