What if poems, like people, have their own life stories? This talk explores a deceptively simple question through the poetry of Rex Lee Jim, one of the most important contemporary voices in Navajo literature. By tracing a single short poem through two decades—from its first publication in 1995 to a significantly revised version in 2021—we witness how a work of art evolves, changes its mind, and perhaps reveals intentions beyond even what its creator first imagined. Refreshments provided.
Dr. Anthony Webster is the author of multiple works on Navajo ethnopoetics and linguistics, including Explorations in Navajo Poetry and Poetics, and he is a co-editor of the acclaimed and award-winning book The Diné Reader.
