Major Issues
Author Links
Essay Questions

Major Issues

"Collage" is an appropriate description of both the form and content of Leslie Marmon Silko’s literary work. Her "Storyteller" collection, for example, includes short fiction, poetry, photography, letters, and mythology. Her portrayal of her Laguna subjects draws on history, legends, and contemporary reality. Silko’s writing is often discussed in the context of late 20th century Native American literature, and has been compared to that of Louise Erdrich. Her themes resonate beyond the Laguna Pueblo Reservation that is the setting for much of her fiction, however. Marginality, and the interplay between place and people have been identified as two of Silko’s major thematic concerns. Scholars note that the oral storytelling tradition, and its importance to individual and cultural identity, is also fully explored, and demonstrated, in Silko’s work.

Author Links

Voice From the Gaps
This website offers a bio-critical introduction and a bibliography of works by and about Silko.

An Interview
In this interview Silko discusses legends, the oral tradition, and contemporary Native American literature.

A Laguna woman
This extensive biographical essay explores Silko’s Laguna cultural inheritance.

Leslie Marmon Silko
This site presents excerpts from reviews of Silko’s works.