When poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Philosophical References
- "Windigo" (entire poem): This is a shout out not to a specific text, but rather to an entire oral history. As we know, the Windigo figure has appeared in countless Anishinaabe tales dating back hundreds of years, tales that have had their own life unfolding and transforming long before Erdrich ever arrived. With "Windigo," Erdrich inserts herself into a centuries-old storytelling tradition, updating these Windigo legends for a modern literary audience.