The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: The Death of Sitting Bear: New and Selected Poems, N. Scott Momaday

The Death of Sitting Bear: New and Selected Poems

N. Scott Momaday

"These are the poems of a master poet. . . . When you read these poems, you will learn to hear deeply the sound a soul makes as it sings about the mystery of dreaming and becoming." -- Joy Harjo, Mvskoke Nation, U.S. Poet Laureate

Pulitzer Prize winner and celebrated American master N. Scott Momaday returns with a radiant collection of more than 200 new and selected poems rooted in Native American oral tradition.

One of the most important and unique voices in American letters, distinguished poet, novelist, artist, teacher, and storyteller N. Scott Momaday was born into the Kiowa tribe and grew up on Indian reservations in the Southwest. The customs and traditions that influenced his upbringing--most notably the Native American oral tradition--are the centerpiece of his work.

This luminous collection demonstrates Momaday's mastery and love of language and the matters closest to his heart. To Momaday, words are sacred; language is power. Spanning nearly fifty years, the poems gathered here illuminate the human condition, Momaday's connection to his Kiowa roots, and his spiritual relationship to the American landscape.

The title poem, "The Death of Sitting Bear" is a celebration of heritage and a memorial to the great Kiowa warrior and chief. "I feel his presence close by in my blood and imagination," Momaday writes, "and I sing him an honor song." Here, too, are meditations on mortality, love, and loss, as well as reflections on the incomparable and holy landscape of the Southwest.

The Death of Sitting Bear evokes the essence of human experience and speaks to us all.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Harper Perennial
  • Publish Date: Oct 25th, 2022
  • Pages: 192
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.90in - 5.90in - 0.60in - 0.60lb
  • EAN: 9780062961167
  • Categories: Native AmericanSubjects & Themes - Animals & NatureHaiku

More books to explore

Book Cover for: Devotions: A Read with Jenna Pick: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, Mary Oliver
Book Cover for: A Treatise on Stars, Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge
Book Cover for: Oceanic, Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Book Cover for: Earth Keeper: Reflections on the American Land, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Summer Snow: New Poems, Robert Hass
Book Cover for: Look at This Blue, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke
Book Cover for: The Glass Constellation: New and Collected Poems, Arthur Sze
Book Cover for: Jim Harrison: Complete Poems, Jim Harrison
Book Cover for: Dissolve, Sherwin Bitsui
Book Cover for: Blue Horses: Poems, Mary Oliver
Book Cover for: Blizzard of One: Pulitzer Prize Winner, Mark Strand
Book Cover for: We Come Elemental, Tamiko Beyer
Book Cover for: Blood Snow, Dg Nanouk Okpik
Book Cover for: The Wilderness: New & Selected Poems, 1980-2016, Maurya Simon
Book Cover for: Rounding the Human Corners, Linda Hogan

About the Author

Momaday, N. Scott: -

N. Scott Momaday (1934-2024) is an internationally renowned poet, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, artist, teacher, and storyteller. He authored numerous works that include poetry, novels, essays, plays, and children's stories. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his debut novel House Made of Dawn and was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Academy of American Poets Prize, the National Medal of Arts, the Ken Burns American Heritage Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation's Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, and the Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime achievement in poetry. A longtime professor of English and American literature, Momaday earned his PhD from Stanford University and retired as Regents Professor at the University of Arizona. In 2022, he was inducted into the inducted into the Academy of American Arts and Letters.

More books by N. Scott Momaday

Book Cover for: The Way to Rainy Mountain, 50th Anniversary Edition, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: House Made of Dawn [50th Anniversary Ed], N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Earth Keeper: Reflections on the American Land, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: House Made of Dawn, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Circle of Wonder: A Native American Christmas Story, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Dream Drawings: Configurations of a Timeless Kind, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Three Plays: The Indolent Boys, Children of the Sun, and The Moon in Two Windows, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Ancient Child, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: In the Presence of the Sun: Stories and Poems, 1961-1991, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: MEDITATIONS After the Bear Feast, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: In the Bear's House, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Oklahoma Poems... and Their Poets, Stephen Dunn
Book Cover for: Again the Far Morning: New and Selected Poems, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: The Names: Volume 16, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: The Journey of Tai-me, N. Scott Momaday
Book Cover for: Guns, N. Scott Momaday

Praise for this book

"These are the poems of a master poet, born of an age when our ears were not so bent towards digital production. Or should I say, these are the poems of a bear who has walked through several generations and stands before us, breathing clouds into a cold dawn, bearing this book of poetry. The bear's journey is mythic, a migration through tragedy and beauty, over lands rich with horses and stories. When you read these poems, you will learn to hear deeply the sound a soul makes as it sings about the mystery of dreaming and becoming." -- Joy Harjo, Mvskoke Nation, U.S. Poet Laureate

"An admirable capstone to a distinguished literary career, this splendid selection should be a treasure for Momaday's readers and an excellent introduction for those new to Native American writing." -- Library Journal (starred review)

"Firmly steeped in Kiowa heritage and indigenous oral storytelling traditions, Momaday breathes in the spirit of the Southwest and breathes out masterful imagery onto the page. The poems beg to be read aloud in order to savor the taste of the language, each word carefully chosen to evoke shape, sound, sight, feeling and history with the weight of its intention. . . . This incredibly personal collection of poems presents deep reflections on the natural world, indigenous history and the nature of humans, animals and God." -- Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"[A] generous collection . . . . each poem reflects a lifetime of writing across the intersections of history, identity, and language. This accessible compendium allows readers to savor the life's work of an unparalleled poet." -- Booklist

"A gem of a collection. . . . Soulful, heartfelt, beautifully constructed, and technically brilliant, this is a book written by one of our most important and unique voices." -- Fjords

"The single best collection of works from a master of Native letters." -- TCJ Student Magazine