A Radiant Curve: Poems and Stories (Volume 64) (Sun Tracks)

I bought Ms. Tapahonso's book after seeing her interviewed on national news. She has been named the first Poet Laurette of the Navaho Nation so I immediately searched for her book. As I read these stories and poems I was captivated by the traditional and sacred stories she shares. I learned from her how important it is that we all share our stories with family members. The way she presents Navaho stories is beautiful and unforgettable.

The poems are beautiful. I listened to the cd of poems that came with the book in the car, it soothes my daughter to sleep in the back seat!

Tapahonzo is a very effective poet and story teller. She walks you through the places she has been and seen, doing so with care.

A riveting collection of poems and stories! I absolutely love and recommend this book! Tapahonso paints an accurate depiction of her Navajo roots.

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This is the second book of Luci Tapahonso's poetry that I've read, the other being The Women Are Singing. Tapahonso is a perceptive guide to Navajo life, and a strong voice for all of Native America. Navajos already have plenty of poetry in their chants and ceremonies, and Tapahonso "translates" some of that vision into the forms of contemporary poetry. She shows us the beauty and ruggedness of Navajo lands, the deep traditions of Navajo spirituality, and the struggles of Navajos for identity and survival in the modern world. The Navajos in her poetry are real people, not the cartoon figures that New Agers and others might prefer. (Here in Flagstaff, which is about 10% Navajo, we like to think we know the difference). While some of the figures in her poetry are struggling to combine Navajo traditions and the modern world, Tapahonso is not struggling, she has succeeded, in combining Navajo traditions and poetic and storytelling grace.

Luci Tapahonso's prose/poetry flows as a stream in a desert, blending modern life with the ancient Dine' traditions in a voice authentically spiritual. The power of their culture is strong as their sacred mountains, as colorful as the turquoise sky. All the while it seems you are hearing a neighbor share stories as casually as a cup of coffee. This book was a gift literally and figuratively.