Author Topic: Joseph Marshall III  (Read 4300 times)

Offline snorks

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Joseph Marshall III
« on: October 08, 2006, 01:07:05 pm »
I belong to a book club of the month.
This was this month's featured book:
Keep Going by Joseph Marshall.

The blurb:

In this original author adaptation, Lakota elder and award-winning storyteller Joseph M. Marshall, III shares the story told to him by his own grandfather that taught him the power of perseverance. Rooted in Lakota spirituality, Keep Going begins when a young man turns to his grandfather for comfort after the loss of his father. Together they sit underneath a cottonwood tree, and the grandfather shares his perspective on life, the courage it requires, and the pleasure and pain on the journey.

Each section focuses on a small portion of the prose poem “Keep Going??? with recollections, dialogue, and stories to bring out the subtle nuances in the traditional Native American text:
“Strength can come from facing the storms of life, from knowing loss, feeling sadness and heartache, from falling into the depths of grief….??? “Storms come,??? said Old Hawk, “it’s a fact of life living here on the prairies. Sometimes they surprise us. Other times we can see them forming and we can’t help but anticipate what’s coming…. Facing those storms, those unbelievably hard times, means accepting the reality of life.???

Everyone who experiences Grandfather’s wise words in this inspiring guide will draw comfort, knowledge, and strength—just as the author did.
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How would you regard this book?  Is it the real deal or something written for the New Age crowd?

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Joseph Marshall III
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2006, 02:40:13 pm »
Any kind of autobiography is an alien form imposed on Native cultures. I realize that these kinds of bios are incredibly popular with outsiders looking for an "inside" view, but almost all of these are "as told to" kinds of books. Black Elk Speaks pretty much might as well have been called Nieehardt Speaks.

Marshall is no fraud, here's his bio.
http://www.thunderdreamers.com/bio_01.html

I haven't read his books so can't comment on them. But based their descriptions they seem to be more along the lines of lessons for living, often aimed at young people. Lakota members or those who might've met him or know the communities might be better people to comment on if there's anything inappropriate in the books.

Offline debbieredbear

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Re: Joseph Marshall III
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2006, 05:21:53 pm »
"Lessons for living" is a good way of putting it. I have read three of his books, starting with "ON behalf of Wolf and First Nations." Marshall isn't trying to teach anyone to be a Lakota, just tell how he was raised, with certain values. IN addition, I asked my Lakota naturopath about him and she loves his books.