Friday, February 19, 2010

Leslie Marmon Silko Reading

Last night, January 28th, Leslie Marmon Silko read selections from three different pieces: Almanac of the Dead (1991), Ceremony (1977), and Chapolin’s Portrait. The event was held at The University of Arizona’s Modern Languages building. Every month, “The Vine Deloria, Jr. Distinguished Indigenous Scholars Series” has a guest speaker, and on this night, Silko was the honoree. (For a listing of upcoming guest speakers Click Here). Silko was born in 1948 in Albuquerque but grew up in Laguna Pueblo. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of New Mexico in 1969. Some of her awards include: National Endowment for the Arts award, 1974; the Pushcart prize in 1977; and the MacArthur Foundation grant in 1983. She is very well known in the literary world for being a key name in the Indigenous literary cannon. Her appearance on this night was more of a dedication and honoring of the late Vine Deloria Jr., whom she says was one of her greatest inspirations in becoming a writer.

Silko began the night by paying homage to two books that left her amazed when she was in her early 20’s: “Custer Died for Your Sins” by Vine Deloria Jr., and “House Made of Dawn” by N. Scott Momaday. She seemed a little nervous, maybe emotional, since she announced it was the first time she was going to acknowledge Vine Deloria’s death. Five minutes into her speaking, you could tell she feels enraged at the injustices Indigenous people have suffered for over 500 years. She made comments about the Influenza of 1918 that killed over 40 million people, the hopelessness in having Sheriff Arpaio in office, and how in 1948, New Mexico and Arizona did not allow Indigenous peoples to vote in state elections.

Besides the controversial topics she touched on, Silko also shared her gentle wisdom for everything living. She honored us with a couple of Native traditions on befriending animals of all kinds. For example, she recalled putting cotton balls by the windowsill as a child, so that flies would stay there instead of swarming around the house. Her people cherished all animals, she said. Also, if there happened to be an army of ants scavenging for food, she would put some food outside to feed them, eliminating the problem without death or sprays of some sort. Lastly, when Silko read from a newer short story titled “Chapolin’s Portrait,” we learned about a friendship she built with a multi-colored, over-sized cricket in her Tucson Mountain’s home. The cricket dies as summer comes to an end, but instead of mourning, Silko decides to keep the cricket alive through a colored pencil portrait.

Her voice held a consistent mixture of humility, excitement, and compassion. Her speech was genuine, her wisdom inspiring, and her frustrations admirable. The reading was a free event, with a reception afterwards that allowed her many fans that showed up, the chance to meet her and get an autograph.

No comments:

Post a Comment