John Joseph Mathews, 69 - (American Indian Literature and Critical Studies) by Michael Snyder (Paperback)

About the Book

Through insightful analysis of his major works, especially his semiautobiographical novel Sundown and his meditative Talking to the Moon, Snyder revises this impression. The story he tells, of one remarkable individual, is also the story of the Osage Nation, the state of Oklahoma, and Native America in the twentieth century.

Book Synopsis

John Joseph Mathews (1894-1979) is one of Oklahoma's most revered twentieth-century authors. An Osage Indian, he was also one of the first Indigenous authors to gain national renown. Yet fame did not come easily to Mathews, and his personality was full of contradictions. In this captivating biography, Michael Snyder provides the first book-length account of this fascinating figure.

Known as "Jo" to all his friends, Mathews had a multifaceted identity. A novelist, naturalist, biographer, historian, and tribal preservationist, he was a true "man of letters." Snyder draws on a wealth of sources, many of them previously untapped, to narrate Mathews's story. Much of the writer's family life--especially his two marriages and his relationships with his two children and two stepchildren--is explored here for the first time.

Born in the town of Pawhuska in Indian Territory, Mathews attended the University of Oklahoma before venturing abroad and earning a second degree from Oxford. He served as a flight instructor during World War I, traveled across Europe and northern Africa, and bought and sold land in California. A proud Osage who devoted himself to preserving Osage culture, Mathews also served as tribal councilman and cultural historian for the Osage Nation.

Like many gifted artists, Mathews was not without flaws. And perhaps in the eyes of some critics, he occupies a nebulous space in literary history. Through insightful analysis of his major works, especially his semiautobiographical novel Sundown and his meditative Talking to the Moon, Snyder revises this impression. The story he tells, of one remarkable individual, is also the story of the Osage Nation, the state of Oklahoma, and Native America in the twentieth century.

Review Quotes

"[Michael] Snyder's meticulous biography explodes long-standing myths about Mathews. . . . In filling gaps both personal and cultural, the book does fine service." --Times Literary Supplement

"This is a critical biography, delving into both the literary and the personal sides of Mathews. In the end the story is edifying. . . . I was transfixed by the interactions of literary legends traipsing through the narrative--Savoie Lottinville, . . . J. Frank Dobie, . . . Carter Revard." --Plains Folk

"John Joseph Mathews: Life of an Osage Writer is a major contribution to the growing field of biographies of American Indian literary figures. Students of Native American literature will find this a significant addition to the canon of Mathews scholarship. Others will find it an engaging read."--Daniel F. Littlefield Jr., author of Alex Posey: Creek Poet, Journalist, and Humorist