Offers an approach to reconciling the oral and sacred traditions of Native American song and story with the written and electronic media of the present. Suggests that hearing the voice as we read rather than just looking at alphabetic symbols allows a better understanding not only of Native American literature but also of the roots of European traditions. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Today many students are being exposed to oral literature in a printed form. Teachers in secondary and postsecondary institutions may not be well prepared in this area, so this excellent work appears at an opportune moment. After many years of study, Zolbrod has created an understandable and comprehensive classification of oral material designed to aid comparison and analysis. He broadens the use of the term "poetry" to include all cultural expression based on the human voice. Using the accessible concepts of colloquial and lyrical voice and narrative and dramatic mode, he creates a useful structural paradigm. However, he also wishes to show how such a paradigm can revitalize discussions of Western poetry and electronically transmitted poetic structures. Because he believes poetry evolved from vocal attempts to unite an individual with community and a greater-than-human reality, Zolbrod's discussions of sample texts also explore the ways in which they engage creation stories. This is first-rate scholarship with practical application for any discussion of literature and verbal expression. It is essential reading for anyone who has tried to find the oral voice behind the printed page. All academic collections. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.