Tales of the Old Indian Territory and Essays on the Indian Condition

Oskison cuts an unorthodox and compelling figure in this remarkable anthology, part of the University of Nebraska's American Indian Lives Series. Part Cherokee, he was raised in Indian Territory in the late 19th century and drove cattle with his father in what would later become Oklahoma. He attended Stanford and then Harvard, where he heard lectures by William James (whose obscure language induced "mild agony" in the aspiring journalist) and met Theodore Roosevelt, who impressed him enormously. Oskison went on to a career in journalism, and this book collects a sampling of his unpublished writing, including autobiographical pieces, matter-of-fact short stories, and opinionated and carefully observed essays on the "Indian Question." Oskison's account of his life is remarkable, and though his fiction veers toward the heavy handed, it is also vivid and engaging. Larr%C3%A9 provides a thorough if clumsily written introduction, locating Oskison within his historical moment as well as within an American Indian literary tradition. The collection is best suited to a scholarly audience, but Oskison is a lively writer and he has some fascinating stories to tell. (June)