More than one million copies sold 2017 One Book One Nebraska selection “An American classic.�—Western Historical Quarterly Black Elk Speaks, the story of the Oglala Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and his people during momentous twilight years of the nineteenth century, offers readers much more than a precious glimpse of a vanished time. Black Elk’s searing visions of the unity of humanity and Earth, conveyed by John G. Neihardt, have made this book a classic that crosses multiple genres. Whether appreciated as the poignant tale of a Lakota life, as a history of a Native nation, or as an enduring spiritual testament, Black Elk Speaks is unforgettable. Black Elk met the distinguished poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt in 1930 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and asked Neihardt to share his story with the world. Neihardt understood and conveyed Black Elk’s experiences in this powerful and inspirational message for all humankind. This complete edition features a new introduction by historian Philip J. Deloria and annotations of Black Elk’s story by renowned Lakota scholar Raymond J. DeMallie. Three essays by John G. Neihardt provide background on this landmark work along with pieces by Vine Deloria Jr., Raymond J. DeMallie, Alexis Petri, and Lori Utecht. Maps, original illustrations by Standing Bear, and a set of appendixes rounds out the edition.

"[Eagle Voice Remembers] is John Neihardt's mature and reflective interpretation of the old Sioux way of life. He served as a translator of the Sioux past, whose audience has proved not to be limited by space or time. Through Neihardt's writings Black Elk, Eagle Elk, and other old men who were of that last generation of Sioux to have participated in the old buffalo-hunting life and the disorienting period of strife with the U.S. Army found a literary voice. What they say chronicles a dramatic transition in the life of the Plains Indians; the record of their thoughts, interpreted by Neihardt, is a legacy preserved for the future. It transcends the specifics of this one tragic case of cultural misunderstanding and conflict and speaks to universal human concerns. It is a story worth contemplating both for itself and for the lessons it teaches all humanity."-from the introduction by Raymond J. DeMallie In her foreword Coralie Hughes discusses John G. Neihardt's intention that this book, formerly titled When the Tree Flowered, be understood as a prequel to his classic Black Elk Speaks. In this new edition David C. Posthumus adds clarity through his annotations, introducing Eagle Voice Remembers to a new generation of readers and presenting a fresh understanding for fans of the original.

A Cycle of the West rewards its readers with a sweeping saga of the American West and John G. Neihardt's exhilarating vision of frontier history. It is infused with wonder, nostalgia, and a keen appreciation of epic history. Unquestionably the masterpiece of the poet who has been called the "American Homer," A Cycle of the West celebrates the land and legends of the Old West in five narrative poems: The Song of Three Friends (1919), The Song of Hugh Glass (1915), The Song of Jed Smith (1941), The Song of the Indian Wars (1925), and The Song of the Messiah (1935). This unforgettable epic of discovery, conquest, courage, and tragedy speaks movingly and resoundingly of a unique American experience. The new introduction by former Texas poet laureate Alan Birkelbach and annotations by Joe Green present fresh views of Neihardt's iconic work.

This volume is a continuation of the autobiography of John G. Neihardt "All Is But a Beginning" offering a final glimpse into his fascinating life. Covering the years 1901-1908, he weaves a mosaic of personal fulfillment, joy and sorrow, reflecting on the successes and failures he experienced during his "mature" years. As only he could, Neihardt shares a mingling of romantic anecdotes alive with names and faces he sought out or fought for along the way.
Writing with warmth and sensitivity, the late Poet Laureate of Nebraska tells of his early newspaper days, his struggle to write poetry, his family, his encounters with nature, his relationships with Indians, and the various people who, whether met once or often, had a profound effect on his life. Using a conversational style, the author does not present episodes in chronological order. Rather he begins to elaborate on one memorable experience, then quickly draws out, without warning, another one that occurred years later, tying them into a pattern or coincidence.

The book's Epilogue is written by Neihardt's daughter, Hilda Neihardt Petri. Summarizing her father's visions, daydreams, and philosophy, she movingly concludes that with his death on 3 November 1973 Neihardt's "great adventure had begun."

The late John G. Neihardt is best remembered as an authority on the traditions and customs of the Sioux Indians. Neihardt, named Poet Laureate of Nebraska in 1921 and Prairie Poet Laureate of America in 1968, was literary editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from 1926 to 1938 and poet in residence and lecturer in English at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 1949 to 1965. The author of some twenty-five volumes ofpoetry, fiction, and philosophy, his works include "Black Elk Speaks," "Lyric and Dramatic Poems," and "A Cycle of the West,"

How important were Sioux authors such as Charles Eastman in the opinion of the writer responsible for "Black Elk Speaks"? What will be the legacy of modern poetry according to the poet behind "The Cycle of the West"? "Knowledge and Opinion" offers an unparalleled glimpse into the social and literary thought of John G. Neihardt (1881-1973), one of America's most celebrated poets and authors. A wealth of little-known essays and reviews deepen and round out our appreciation for the accomplishments of Neihardt by revealing his no-nonsense opinions about noted literary figures and trends, events, and social issues of his day.
Featured in these pages are Neihardt's views of such literary giants as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, H. G. Wells, e. e. Cummings, Dorothy Parker, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, and Upton Sinclair. The contributions of Sigmund Freud, anthropologist Paul Radin, and modern philosophers like Bertrand Russell do not escape his sweeping gaze. In their entirety, these essays showcase Neihardt's perspectives and opinions on a wide range of subjects and issues, including modern poetry, the qualities of great literature, twentieth-century trends in writing and literary criticism, the defining characteristics of Western civilization, the literatures and cultures of Native Americans, the lost world of the Old West, economic turmoil in the Great Depression, and the enduring power of classical thought.

This rich archive of essays and reviews will surprise, delight, and provoke those who thought they already knew John G. Neihardt.

Death-defying and vulnerable fur-traders and Indians, demi-devils and almost-angels, and other complex personalities come fully to life in "The Ancient Memory, "which completes the collecting of John G. Neihardt's early short fiction begun with "The End of the Dream and Other Stories. "Originally published in popular magazines between 1905 and 1908, these stories about the American frontier illustrated Neihardt's artistry in the short form and foreshadow the themes, situations, and characterizations of his later, better-known work. Although two of the Indian stories, the ironic "Feather for Feather" and the satirical "A Political Coup at Little Omaha," were collected in "The Lonesome Trail" in 1907, none has been reprinted since early in the twentieth century.

Other stories included here are "Like a Woman," featuring the plucky Pelagie, and "The Face in the Balcony," which is dedicated to "those who have gone through life misunderstood." "The Epic-Minded Scot," about a stranger who is stubbornly idealistic and scrupulous, is considered one of Neihardt's best tales. "The Brutal Fact" revolves around a William Tell type of contest between trapping partners that anticipates Neihardt's "Song of Three Friends." "The Lure of Woman," a study of greed and revenge, was expanded into his novel "Life's Lure." The ineffable "Ancient Memory" carries profound philosophical implications while presenting a strange doppelganger of sorts. Finally, the memorable Waters--an alcoholic, one-legged, one-eyed frontier printer--is introduced in "The Discarded Fetish," which, with minor changes, became the first half of the novel "The Dawn-Builder."

In her foreword Neihardt's daughter Hilda Neihardt recalls intimate details incidental to the writing of these stories.

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. Included among the early lyrics are "Let Me Live Out My Years." The short stories that brought him his first fame are represented by "Dreams Are Wiser Than Men" and the memorably horrific "Alien." An excerpt from "The River and I" documents a trip down the Missouri as atmospheric and eventful as any described by Mark Twain. "A Cycle of the West," the five-volume masterwork written over nearly thirty years, receives its due with chapters from "The Song of Three Friends, The Song of Hugh Glass, The Song of Jed Smith, The Song of the Indian Wars, "and "The Song of the Messiah." The extent of Neihardt's achievement is apparent long before the reader comes to the selections from the classic "Black Elk Speaks" and the fine, late novel "When the Trees Flowered." Concluding the anthology are selections from the literary criticism that helped form his philosophy of literature and the autobiographical writing of his twilight years. "The Giving Earth" is the gift of a writer's generous spirit and unlimited imagination.

In 1908 John Neihardt (1881-1973) and two companions traveled the Missouri River--about two thousand miles--in a twenty-foot canoe. Originally published in "Outing Magazine" as a series of articles, "The River and I" describes their adventures on that wild waterway before it was dammed by the Army Corps of Engineers and points out storied sites along the shore. The result transcends journalism; Neihardt does for the Missouri what Twain did for the Mississippi. This Landmark edition makes available once more the book that was issued in 1910, two years before Neihardt began work on "A Cycle of the West" and twenty-two years before the publication of "Black Elk Speaks."

Originally published at the beginning of the twentieth century, the short stories of John G. Neihardt deserve to be better known. Their flesh-and-blood Indians were practically unprecedented in an era when the fiends of dime novels and idealizations of Cooper were still the literary norm. Owing much to young Neihardt's intimate association with the Omahas at their reservation in eastern Nebraska, the stories were of an Indian cast that perplexed the critics. They were often overlooked as the years brought laurels to the author of "A Cycle of the West" and "Black Elk Speaks," A closer look at them reveals that Neihardt was a disciplined artist from the very beginning.

The nine stories in this volume appeared from 1901 to 1905 in the "Overland Monthly"; five were collected in "The Lonesome Trail" in 1907. All of them are informed by Neihardt's experience among Omaha Indians and shaped by the power of his imagination. Except for "A Prairie Borgia," which clearly touches on the notorious Chief Blackbird's relations with traders, all are set in the time before contact with white men. Love and hate, kindness and cruelty, hope and despair, generosity and envy, honesty and guile, spiritual impulse and sexual desire operate in this wholly Indian world. "The End of the Dream," 'The Triumph of Seha," and "The Smile of God" are patterned on vision quests issuing in profound irony. The social outcast who figured in "Neihardt's Indian Tales and Others" (1927, a Bison Book), appears again in adventures with a cosmic, and sometimes fantastic, dimension. These stories, as well as "When the Snows Drift," "The Beating of the War Drums," "The Fading of Shadow Flower," "The Singing of the Frogs," and"The Spirit of Crow Butte," have an inwardness reflected by vivid imagery. Their quality led Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte, the daughter of Joseph LaFlesche (Iron Eyes), last chief of the Omahas, to exclaim that Neihardt was the only writer in a long line extending from Cooper to Frederic Remington who possessed "a true understanding of Indian character."

The stories were compiled by Neihardt's daughter, Hilda Neihardt Petri. In his introduction Jay Fultz discusses their cultural context and artistic integrity.

Before "Black Elk Speaks," before his epic poem "A Cycle of the West," John G. Neihardt wrote many short stories that found favor with readers and critics. Among his best were the seventeen collected in "Indian Tales and Others" in 1926 and now available for the first time in paperback. "The Singer of the Ache," considered Neihardt's highest achievement in short fiction, portrays young Moon-Walker's quest for supernatural powers achieved at a price.
Other Indian tales include "The Look in the Face," one of many about a social outcast; "The White Wakunda," about a Christ figure; "The Mark of Shame," concerning murder as a violation of the natural order; "Vylin" and "Mignon," moral fables about Indian-white marriages; "The Last Thunder Song"; and "Dreams Are Wiser Than Men."Other stories, set on the frontier, are "The Scars," "The Nemesis of the Deuces," "The Revolt of a Sheep," "The Parable of the Sack," "The Art of Hate," and perhaps Neihardt's most popular tale, "The Alien," in which a fur trapper makes a pet of a she-wolf, with unex-pected consequences. "The Red Roan," a ghost story, and "Beyond the Spectrum," about a man who may have stepped outside his body permanently, bring to a peak the strain of the supernatural that is apparent throughout the collection.

John Neihardt, celebrated for his cycle of epic poems about the American West and for Black Elk Speaks, was in his nineties when he wrote this engaging book about growing up in the Midwest. "All Is But a Beginning" describes the people and events instrumental in shaping his later distinguished career as a poet; historian, and authority on Indians.

The first volume in this two-volume edition of "A Cycle of the West" includes "The Song of Three Friends "(1919), which received the National Prize of the Poetry Society of America, "The Song of Jed Smith" (1941). The first two songs, in the poet's words, "deal with the ascent of the river and characteristic adventures of Ashley-Henry men in the country of the upper Missouri and the Yellowstone. "The Song of Jed Smith" follows the first band of Americans through South Pass to the Great Salt Lake, the first band of Americans to reach Spanish California by an overland trail." Regarded by many as Dr. Neihardt's masterwork, the cycle as a whole "celebrates the great mood of courage that was developed west of the Missouri River in the nineteenth-century."

The second volume of "A Cycle of the West", dealing with the tragic defeat of the Plains Indians, includes "The Song of the Indian Wars" (1925) and "The Song of the Messiah" (1935). The former tells of "the period of migration and the last great fight for the bison pastures between the invading white race and the Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Arapahoe," while the latter concerns "the conquered people and the worldly end of the last great dream." It closes with the battle of Wounded Knee, ending Indian resistance on the Plains.

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With the publication of "The Splendid Wayfaring" in 1920, John G. Neihardt sought to restore the reputation of a mountain man who went far in opening up the American West. The exciting narrative begins in 1822, when Smith ascended the Missouri River in the first fur-trading expedition of William H. Ashley and Andrew Henry, and ends in 1831, when he was killed by Comanche Indians on the Cimarron River. In the intervening years Smith became the first explorer to recognize South Pass as the gateway to the Far West, the first overlander to reach California and travel up the coast to the Columbia River, and the first white man to cross the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin from west to east. The "Splendid Wayfaring" follows in novelistic detail the history-making adventures of Smith and his companions.