![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() In 1981 Silko became one of the original recipients of the MacArthur Foundation Grant, which later came to be known informally as the "Genius Grant." And in 1994 she won the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas Lifetime Achievement Award. And Leslie Marmon Silko was right in the middle of it all. Nevertheless, Ceremony earned Silko a place in the history books and caused The New York Times book review to call her "the most accomplished Native American writer of her generation." Whoa, that's some heavy praise, especially when you consider that Silko's generation was responsible for what would come to be known as the "Native American Renaissance." That's when, in the late 1960s and 70s, Native American writers began to draw the attention of mainstream publishing houses, critics, grant-bestowing foundations (Cha-ching!), and universities began establishing Native American Studies departments. Sounds like someone's been eating her fair share of humble pie. "There might have been some Native American woman long ago that we don't know about," Silko speculates. When she published Ceremonyin 1977, she was reluctant to accept the title of "first female Native American novelist." As she points out in this interview, a lot about Native American history has been lost. Leslie Marmon Silko is a pretty rad chick, and quite the accomplished author to boot-but she probably wouldn't tell you any of that herself. ![]()
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