The Giving Earth: A John G. Neihardt Reader

"This sampler of Neihardt's poetry and prose . . . resurrect[s] the outlines of a long and varied literary career. . . . What this book does, finally, is show the elements in Neihardt that came together in Black Elk [Speaks]."-Los Angeles Times. "These short pieces reveal not only the spiritual and artistic growth of John G. Neihardt but foreshadow the themes found in his later, better-known literary works."-Nebraska History. Internationally known for Black Elk Speaks and A Cycle of the West, John G. Neihardt (1881-1973) wrote in almost all major genres: fiction, lyric and epic poetry, biography, autobiography, travelogue, literary criticism, and the familiar essay. The Giving Earth includes nearly forty selections representing every phase of Neihardt's art, from the passionate poetry of his youth to the masterworks of his maturity to the lapidary reflections of his old age. In her introduction, Hilda Neihardt, who was with her father when he interviewed Black Elk at Pine Ridge, provides many personal details surrounding the publication of his works. She also introduces each section.