American Indian Culture and Research Journal

It would be easy to write about Paula Gunn Allen as a scholar, but that information is everywhere, from books and interviews to student graduate dissertations. Even with her many accomplishments, such as her defining book The Sacred Hoop and her often humorous and dead-serious book Pocahontas, I love Paula’s poem about Grandmother Spider the most. That’s what Paula was, a weaver of connections between the world, between people, between word and word. From the work that follows, it seems more important to write about her as a human being. Poet, scholar, teacher, writer, her warm heart seems to be, finally, what people love this strong story-woman for the most, at least until her words reach future readers and scholars. I first met Paula when I had written my first book and knew nothing about the world of writing, books, or educated Indian women. Paula took me into her web. Before I knew it I was on a talk show and in over my head. Fortunately, Paula was articulate enough to cover for me. Then I gave a reading at a salon she took me to in New York, a first reading for me, a young writer. First, she took me to her home and fed me eggs and salsa. Hot salsa! How could I not adore her? We shared our growing worlds, relationships, poetry, then also our losses: children, loves, work. She was a real human being, a kind and beloved woman. She, in many ways, represented the meaning of her book, which will be out in January from West End Press, American the Beautiful. I will always think of her as a spider woman, weaving, reweaving, leaving filaments of silk for us to follow. One friend of hers, Charlotte Gullick, was with her before she changed worlds and describes Paula, “I come back to find her eyes closed, but her left hand is in the air, and she’s shaking it as if she holds a rattle. Her lips dance out silent words and I watch for a few minutes before she opens her eyes. . . . I wish I had enough knowledge of her tribal connections to know what kind of rattle would be the right one.