Trying to find Native American female author's name

September 28, 2014 8:38 AM

I went to Ohio University, Athens,during or around the time of 1998/99. We had a female poet come and present her poetry to us as a part of school programming, a special event. Her work was very powerful, she may have recently won at award around that time, I do not think she was a professor anywhere. I am not sure where she was from, but I kinda think Canada. She wrote about her recovery from alcoholism and I think she talked about butterflies, that may have been a title of one of books or books of poetry. She also spoke about medicine women and how she could communicate with animals. Does anyone have any idea about what I am talking about? Thanks
posted by cheetahchick to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

Not Canadian, but "The Dawn Appears with Butterflies" by Joy Harjo?
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/40059584?uid=3739664&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21104701335707
posted by third rail at 9:17 AM on September 28, 2014 [3 favorites]

I bet if you called up the OU programming office (or whoever) and asked them, they would be able to help you out. They've got to keep lists of these sorts of things!
posted by Elly Vortex at 9:25 AM on September 28, 2014

Response by poster: great advice, I will reach out to them. thanks!!
posted by cheetahchick at 10:26 AM on September 28, 2014

Another possibility might be Linda Hogan: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/linda-hogan
posted by whistle pig at 12:24 PM on September 28, 2014 [2 favorites]

Could it be Lee Maracle? She is an acclaimed and prolific first nations poet, writer, feminist activist who was born in Vancouver.

If not you should still check her out!
posted by chapps at 12:35 PM on September 28, 2014

Louise Erdrich?
posted by cropshy at 12:52 PM on September 28, 2014

Response by poster: ok not Lee.
posted by cheetahchick at 4:59 PM on September 29, 2014

Best answer: Alright it is Linda Hogan! I saw Harjos picture and I thought it was her bc of the long dark hair, but I listened to her poetry and that was not the style at all.


Then I pulled up Hogan's work, as soon as I saw the book cover for 'The Book of Medicines' it came back to me! I remember that book- she had it for sale!!
and i read Red which was it! also, this author writes about animals and whales! So excited you have no idea! thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by cheetahchick at 5:25 PM on September 29, 2014

Yay! A close friend did her doctoral dissertation on Linda Hogan--her stuff is amazing!
posted by whistle pig at 8:50 AM on September 30, 2014