Leslie Marmon Silko

Leslie Marmon Silko:
2008 Native American Studies Elder-in-Residence

Storytelling comes naturally to Leslie Marmon Silko, a leading author of the Native American literary renaissance in the 1970s, who grew up listening to stories of her father’s people and trying to identify herself with that shared history. Her writing combines western literary forms with her own Laguna Pueblo heritage to communicate Native American concepts and discuss time, nature and spirituality in the contemporary world.

The Native American Studies program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences presents "An Evening with Leslie Marmon Silko" on April 7 at 7:30 p.m., in the Gold Ballroom of the Mountainlair. A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m., prior to the lecture, with flute music by Rick Rivard. Following the event, Silko will be available for a book-signing. The event is free and open to the public.

Silko is a renowned Native American author of novels, short stories, essays, poetry, articles and film scripts. She graduated with honors from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1969, and continued there to receive a master’s degree in creative writing. A former professor of English and fiction writing, Silko taught at the Navajo Community College. She has won various awards including the National Endowment for the Arts, The Boston Globe, the MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship, the Rosewater Foundation Grant and an honorary doctoral degree from the University of New Mexico. She was the youngest writer to be included in The Norton Anthology of Women's Literature, for her short story "Lullaby," and has many published works including The Man to Send Rain Clouds, Laguna Woman, Ceremony, Almanac of the Dead, and Gardens in the Dunes. Ocean Story (a novella) and her memoir, The Turquoise Ledge are in publication and will be released soon. Today, she lives in Tucson, Ariz., and is working on a novel entitled Blue Sevens.

"Leslie Marmon Silko is one of the most accomplished and celebrated Native authors of our time,” said Bonnie Brown, coordinator of Native American Studies. “We are fortunate and excited to have her serve as our elder-in-residence.”

During her visit to West Virginia University, Silko will visit with faculty and students, and give a writing craft seminar for faculty and graduate students in creative writing. She will address students who have read her works in Native American Studies and in English courses such as Literature of Native America and Native American Women Writers.

The Elder-in-Residence program is co-sponsored by the Carolyn Reyer Endowment for Native American Studies, with funding and support from Carolyn Reyer, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English and the Center for Women's Studies.

For more information on the Leslie Marmon Silko Elder-in-Residence lecture, please contact Bonnie Brown at (304)293-4626 or Bonniem.Brown@mail.wvu.edu.