Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation

In Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation, a book reminiscent of the works of John Steinbeck or Wallace Stegner's sentimental essays on the West, one can almost hear the howling dust storms, see the great fields of wheat growing, and taste a swig of moonshine whiskey-''a clear as a newborn baby's piss''-that will loosen the tongue of any storyteller. From tales about the notorious Oklahoma panhandle where ''the only law was the Colt and the carbine,'' to tragic fate of Woody Guthrie's mother, Nora, to a celebratory essay on Chief Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of a major tribe, these sixteen pieces reflect the finest examples of Michael Wallis's writing to date.Taken as a whole, Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation creates a brilliant tableau of American's heartland, a world where the often garish icons of Friday-night football and ''new'' oil money clash with the old-time images of Native Americans, proud desperadoes, and real-life cowboys. Brimming over with spoonfuls of rich history, it is a powerful portrait of the Okie identity and legacy.In Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation, a book reminiscent of the works of John Steinbeck or Wallace Stegner's sentimental essays on the West, one can almost hear the howling dust storms, see the great fields of wheat growing, and taste a swig of moonshine whiskey-''a clear as a newborn baby's piss''-that will loosen the tongue of any storyteller. From tales about the notorious Oklahoma panhandle where ''the only law was the Colt and the carbine,'' to tragic fate of Woody Guthrie's mother, Nora, to a celebratory essay on Chief Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of a major tribe, these sixteen pieces reflect the finest examples of Michael Wallis's writing to date.Taken as a whole, Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation creates a brilliant tableau of American's heartland, a world where the often garish icons of Friday-night football and ''new'' oil money clash with the old-time images of Native Americans, proud desperadoes, and real-life cowboys. Brimming over with spoonfuls of rich history, it is a powerful portrait of the Okie identity and legacy.