Costello, L: Native Indian/Neo American

Leslie Marmon Silko is one of the most controversial writers of her generation. Although frequently classified as a Native American author,her work defies such a simplistic definition. Born and raised in the Laguna Indian tradition, but educated in the white system,her work displays characteristics which are both traditionally Indian and also modern American. Her writings are centered on aspects of Native American life, for example Indian myths and legends but are written in a distinctly modern style. It is this unique style of writing which sets Silko apart from other novelists of her genre. She refuses to be restricted to the traditional characteristics of minority writing and continues to conquer the preconceptions of the modern world. Her work crosses boundaries which have been in place for centuries,providing a bridge between the world of the traditional and the contemporary. Because of her ability to embody these dualistic tensions in her work Silko has been hailed as one of the most important Native American writers of her generation.