Other Side of Nowhere

The Christlike Coyote is the main protagonist in this collection of pseudo-spiritual poems and tales. Mohawk Blue Cloud ( Elderberry Flute Song ) attempts, in the title poem, to give readers a sense of the world in terms of this Coyote religion: ``A planet was born / in circle around a particular sun. Then / first sound and first life came into being.'' The godlike Creation made the world, and Coyote is his physical/metaphysical ``humble helper.'' But this right-hand animal is certainly no savior. Although he possesses supernatural powers, he often uses them selfishly or destructively: in ``The First Missiles,'' Coyote steals the water supply from his fellow animals; in ``The 60s,'' he splits himself into a ``multitude of Coyotes,'' driving people out of a party to which he was not invited. The reader is also privy, in ``Coyote Erectus Dancing'' and ``Anthropologitis,'' to crude, humorless details of Coyote's sexual habits. These pieces mix a stilted, stereotyped Native American language with contemporary jargon, characters and settings, failing to shed any new light on this often misunderstood culture. The amateurish illustrations are by the author. (Nov.)