The Portable Western Reader (Portable Library)
This original paperback anthology is jam-packed with good reading. Part 1, "Ancient Stories," shows the evolution of Native American storytelling from the early legends to contemporary stories and includes writings by Catherine McClellan, John Graves, and Louise Erdrich. Parts 2 and 3 contrast the mythology of the 19th-century "Western" with the actual experience of living in the West. Most of these authors, from Walt Whitman to Larry McMurtry, will be familiar to readers. Part 4, "Brilliant Possibilities," showcases the new generation of Western writers, including Gretel Ehrlich, Jimmy Santiago Baca, and Sherman Alexie. There are some curious selections: a piece by Ernest Hemingway, who did not write widely about the West, for instance, and some notable omissions. Mari Sandoz was obviously chosen over Willa Cather, and there is nothing from Jack Shaffer, whose classic Shane helped redefine the Western hero, or Owen Wister, who wrote The Virginian. Nonetheless, Kittredge, the editor of The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology (Univ. of Washington, 1990. pap.), has collected a wonderful selection of classic Western writing. Recommended for all libraries.?Charlotte L. Glover, Ketchikan P.L., AlaskaCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.