James Welch

Joseph L. Coulombe (Rowan University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.6: Indigenous Writing and Culture of North America - United States.
Vol. editors: Joshua Bartlett (High Point University), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Sarah Henzi (Simon Fraser University), Padraig Kirwan (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Dates

Born 18 Nov 1940
Died 4 Aug 2003
Activity 1970-2003

Places

Born in United States
Active in United States

Cultural Identities

First Nations/Indigenous US-American

Activities

Primary

Educationalist
Novelist
Poet

Resources

Welch's Works

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James Welch is a Native American novelist, poet, and historian whose skillful portrayal of Native experiences has helped change persistent stereotypes about American Indians. Alongside other writers of the “Native American Renaissance,” Welch has produced a body of literature that is both socially conscious and artistically sophisticated. Best known for fiction, he creates characters who must define their place within multiple cultures that are simultaneously complementary and conflicting. Despite such nuances, his novels remain accessible and entertaining, often employing a wry humor to temper a harsh social realism. His first two novels –

Winter in the Blood (1974)

and

The Death of Jim Loney (1979)

– present contemporary Native men who struggle to understand themselves in…

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2045 words

Citation: Coulombe, Joseph L.. "James Welch". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 September 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4652, accessed 22 November 2024.]