A. LaVonne Brown Ruoff is a professor of English at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She annotated, introduced, and edited The Moccasin Maker, by E. Pauline Johnson (U of Arizona P, 1987), and coedited Redefining American Literary History (MLA, 1990). A noted educator, Ruoff directed the NEH Summer Seminar for College Teachers in American Indian Literaure in 1979, 1983, and 1989.

The most comprehensive introduction currently available to the genres and major authors of native American oral and written literature." - Booklist"An essential introductory work for researchers and teachers new to Native American literatures and a helpful source for scholars in the field." - College Literature"The first thing likely to strike the reader upon opening LaVonne Ruoff's new volume is the range, variety, and richness of American Indian literatures . . . Well-conceived and executed, [the book] will be welcomed by students and teachers who are approaching the subject for the first time." - Studies in American Indian Literature