Of mixed-blood Chickasaw descent (not Osage as are the characters in Mean Spirit), Hogan was inspired to tell the story of “the great frenzy” because of her father’s ancestral ties to Oklahoma. She is similar to Joy Harjo, a Creek Indian contemporary poet, in her impressive ability to incorporate spiritual beliefs into her poetry. This talent carries over into her prose; she communicates eloquently the continuance of traditions and the endurance of the Native American peoples.