I Climb the Mesas

An overdue retrospective of a pathbreaking feminist Native American poet, with a foreword from activist and educator Lee Francis IV

I Climb the Mesas: Collected Poems of Paula Gunn Allen span the landscapes of the Southwest, excavate popular misunderstandings of Native women through history, and perhaps most importantly shines a light on a foremother of Native poetry, who was herself an icon to feminist legends like Gloria Steinem.

Including forewords from her nephew, activist and educator Lee Francis IV, as well as her daughter, this volume of the Laguna Pueblo poet spans her decades-long career, including hard-to-find, limited edition chapbooks. 

About the Author

Paula Gunn Allen (1939–2008) was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her father was Lebanese and her mother identified as Laguna Pueblo and Scottish. She received a BA in 1966 and an MFA in creative writing in 1968 from the University of Oregon and a PhD from the University of New Mexico in 1976. A scholar of Native American literature, Allen also authored several volumes of poetry, including America the Beautiful, Life Is a Fatal Disease: Collected Poems 1962-1995, Skins and Bones, and Blind Lion. She taught at the University of California, Los Angeles where she was a professor of English, Creative Writing, and American Indian Studies.