The Raven Steals the Light

by Bill Reid, Bill Reid (Illustrator), Robert Bringhurst, Claude Levi-Strauss (Foreword by)

Overview

This new edition of a collaboration between one of the finest living artists in North America and one of Canada’s finest poets includes a new introduction by the distinguished anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss. Ten masterful, complex drawings by Bill Reid and ten tales demonstrate the richness and range of Haida mythology, from bawdy yet profound tales of the trickster Raven to poignant, imagistic narratives of love and its complications in a world where animals speak, dreams come real, and demigods, monsters, and men live side by side.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780295975245
Publisher:	University of Washington Press
Publication date:	02/01/1996
Edition description:	1996 Edition
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	230,456
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 - 3 Years

About the Author

Robert Bringhurst is a distinguished Canadian poet whom Margaret Atwood has referred to as a “polylingual polymath.” His work draws on Native American myths and storytelling as well as training in philosophy, comparative literature, and linguistics. Among his many publications, including original poetry and prose, as well as translations, are Nine Visits to the Mythworld (University of Nebraska Press, 2000), The Black Canoe: Bill Reid and the Spirit of Haida Gwaii (University of Washington Press and Douglas & McIntyre, 1991), The Raven Steals the Light, with Bill Reid (Douglas & McIntyre, 1984), and Translating Haida Poetry: An Interview with Robert Bringhurst, with Thérèse Rigaud (Douglas & McIntyre, 2002).

Editorial Reviews

"Two artists, in an unusual pairing of talens, have reshaped Haida myths into scenes of Haida prehistoric life that seem told by a modern-day reincarnation of Raven himself."

Western Folklore

"The drawings are impressive; the stories are engaging. But the real value of the book lies in the ability of Reid and Bringhurst to recreate the voice of the storyteller and in their ability to capture the sensual qualities of Haida oral literature."

Folklore

"These are simply the best versions of Indian tales I have read: they are colloquial yet poetic, precise yet spilling outside their boundaries, accumulating and then blending into one another."

Canadian Literature

"These are simply the best versions of Indian tales I have read: they are colloquial yet poetic, precise yet spilling outside their boundaries, accumulating and then blending into one another."—Canadian Literature

"The drawings are impressive; the stories are engaging. But the real value of the book lies in the ability of Reid and Bringhurst to recreate the voice of the storyteller and in their ability to capture the sensual qualities of Haida oral literature."—Folklore

"Two artists, in an unusual pairing of talens, have reshaped Haida myths into scenes of Haida prehistoric life that seem told by a modern-day reincarnation of Raven himself."—Western Folklore

From the Publisher