The Radical Geography of Silko’s Almanac of the Dead

T h e R a d i c a l G e o g r a p h y o f S i l k o ’s A l m a n a c o f t h e D e a d A l e x H u n t H e r e th o u san d s o f in d iv id u al jou r n e y s ar e in ter w o ven , an d th e w ord “b or d er ” is a m u ltip le m e t ap h o r o f d e at h , en cou n te r , for tu n e, in san ity, an d tr an sm u tation . A t tim es it is a n ab yss, a w all, or a sp iderw eb. O t h e r tim es it is a n in fe ct ed w ou n d , or a m em b r an e. So m e d ay s it ’s m or e lik e a h ole, e v e n a tu n n el; an d su d d en ly, it b e co m e s a m ir ror , a b e ar h u g, or a su d d e n flash . — G u ille r m o G o m e z - P e n a , “Bo r d e r C u lt u r e ” P o e t a n d p e r fo r m a n c e a r t ist G u ille r m o G o m e z - P e n a ’s t a n g le o f b o r d e r m e t a p h o r s su g g e st s t o m e L e slie M a r m o n S ilk o ’s p r o c e ss o f m a p p in g t h e b o r d e r la n d s a s a sit e o f p r o g r e ssiv e t r a n sg r e ssio n a n d t r a n sfo r m a t io n e v e n a s t h e y a r e z o n e s o f e x c lu sio n a n d o p p r e ssio n . S in c e Se p t e m b e r 11, 2 0 0 1 , t a lk o f se c u r e b o r d e r s h a s t e m p e r e d e x c it e d r h e t o r ic o f t h e “g lo b a l v illa g e .” N o w t h e w a lls a r e g o in g u p a n d m o r e lin e s a r e b e in g d r a w n , c o m p le t e w it h a n a x is o f e v il. M o r e t h a n e v e r , S i l k o ’s A lm a n ac o f th e D e a d ( 1 9 9 1 ) d e m a n d s o u r c r it ic a l a t t e n t io n a s a n o v e l t h a t m a k e s b o r ­ d e r s c e n t r a l. I f S i l k o ’s m o n st r o u s b o o k w a s a lr e a d y u n c o m fo r...