“image and word cannot be divided”: N. Scott Momaday and Kiowa Ekphrasis

“ I M A G E A N D W O R D C A N N O T B E D I V I D E D ” : N. SC OTT M o m a d a y a n d K io w a E k p h r a s is W i l l i a m m . C l e m e n t s T h e t it le s o f se v e r a l p o e m s in h is 1 9 9 2 c o lle c t io n In th e P resen ce o f th e S u n e v o k e N . S c o t t M o m a d a y ’s in t e r e st in t h e v isu a l a r t s: “C r o w s in a W in t e r C o m p o sit io n ,” “ W id e E m p t y L a n d sc a p e w it h a D e a t h in t h e F o r e g r o u n d ,” a n d “ W o m a n W a it in g o n a P o r c h .” T h e se t it le s c o u ld b e t h e t it le s o f p a in t in g s— in fa c t , o f t h e v e r y d r a w in gs a n d w a t e r c o lo r s w it h w h ic h t h e p o e t h a s illu st r a t e d t h is p a r t ic u la r b o o k . M o r e o v e r , se v e r a l o f t h e p o e m s a r e d e d ic a t e d t o v isu a l a r tist s: G e o r g ia O ’K e e ffe ( “ F o r m s o f t h e N . S c o t t M o m a d a y . T h e M u d d y H o rse s Sh ield (fr o m In th e P re se n ce o f th e S u n 1 0 2 ). C o u r t e sy o f t h e a r t ist . R e fe r r e d t o a s figu r e 4 in t e x t . W il l ia m m . C l e m e n t s 1 3 5 E a r t h a t A h iq u iu ” [3 8 ]); h is fa t h e r , A 1 M o m a d a y , w h o t a u g h t a r t a t B u r e a u o f I n d ia n A ffa ir s sc h o o ls ( “ M y W o r d s D o N o t H o l d ” [1 3 5 ]); a n d a n u n n a m e d p a in t e r ( “ T h e H o t e l 1 9 2 9 ” [1 2 6 ]). S u c h r e c o g n it io n o f t h e a ffin it y o f t h e v e r b a l a n d t h e v isu a l in a r t ist ic e x p r e ssio n figu r e d e ar ly in M o m a d a y ’s im a g in a t iv e life. I...