Night Is Gone, Day Is Still Coming : Stories and Poems by American Indian Teens and Young Adults

The voices of fifty-seven young American Indians emerge in a powerful collection of original writing coedited by the anthologist of YOU HEAR ME? and THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU. When the night isgone and the day isstill coming,we will be taken awayfrom this earth.We will be rising asthe next generationis coming.- from "Next Generations" by Marcia Blacksmith, age thirteen, Crow, LakotaOpen this revelatory anthology of poetry, prose, and memoir and listen to the voices of today's young American Indians, ages eleven to twenty-two, from many nations across the country: A young man pines for his "fry bread queen" in a comically honest take on unrequited love. Another teen tells of a "carbonation dance," his summer ritual of crushing returnable Coke cans with his grandfather. Some express typical teenage angst. Others share glimpses of their culture's unique traditions and beliefs. And many speak of culture clash - such as the homesick "rez girl" riding the New York subway like a "Cochiti carrot in the huge ethnic salad." The chorus assembled between the covers of this essential book sings a song that transcends all borders, seen and unseen.

Sam English, who created the cover image for NIGHT IS GONE, DAY IS STILL COMING, is an American Indian artist who believes that his role is to paint the contemporary Native American in a spiritual sense. Sam English has received numerous awards from Native American art shows around the country as well as some fifty commissions from tribal, governmental, and nonprofit organizations. In 1997, he was commissioned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee to create a mural for the 1997 inauguration.