SOURCE: A review of Studies in American Indian Literature, in Western American Literature, Vol. XIX, No. 2, Summer, 1984, pp. 170-71.

In the excerpt below, King discusses the strengths and weaknesses of Studies in American Indian Literature.

Studies in American Indian Literature is a collection of essays on Indian oral literature, autobiography, and Indian women's literature. There is a section on modern and contemporary Indian literature, a section on the Indian in American literature, and a section on available resources in the field such as anthologies, texts, and scholarly articles. Each of the major sections in the book is followed by suggested course outlines and suggested reading lists. It is a text that is designed for the teacher who wishes to teach a course in this area rather than for the student.

As a secondary source book, Studies in American Indian Literature has much to recommend it. Many of the...