Comments&Reviews
MariJo Moore, of Cherokee, Irish and Dutch ancestry
is an author/ artist/ poet/ essayist/ lecturer/ editor
/
anthologist/ publisher/ workshop presenter/ Psychic/Medium.
Review of When the Dead Dream:
When the Dead Dream – the sequel to The Diamond Doorknob – is another triumph for distinguished Cherokee writer, editor, publisher and artist, MariJo Moore.
Twice-named Wordcrafter of the Year by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, and North Carolina's Distinguished Woman of the Year in the Arts, Moore gives us a powerful narrative about hope and healing that is also a meditation on what it means to belong.
Loyal fans will be eager to know whether Cloud reunites with former lover, Levi. Suffice to say that Cloud's journey to herself includes renewed contact with Levi, to whom she sends the poem "Raven's Journey," which reads in part: I watch with my eyes my raven form eyes as this special star gives you the grace you need to light your preferred darkness. Originally printed in Confessions of a Madwoman, this poem is a reminder that Moore moves confidently between genres, even incorporating visual art into her book in order to layer her message.
Indeed, the first page of the novel is a collage that invites readers to make intuitive connections between image and word: "My writings and collages take integral meaning as they stem from dreams, ancestral memories, and the many voices of Spirit. Creativity has brought healing and deeper understanding to my life." Moore's characters also undergo healing. Cloud must overcome damage from her past, guided by the spirit of her Granddaddy Smoker. Gifted with the ability to communicate with the dead, Cloud assists others in recovery from their own "preferred darknesses" – past traumas that resist illumination.
Trauma residing in the body is released spiritually only when acknowledged, sometimes through formal ceremony. In addition to personal trauma, there are "blood memories" that live on in people whose ancestors have suffered collectively. One of the most compelling characters is August, a man whose ancestry includes Gullah African American and Seminole blood. The dead are as vital as the living in this novel and as one of Cloud's poems reminds us, Dreams don't stop at death. That is where the real dreaming begins. The dead dream all the time… Part of Cloud's healing is in recognizing that she belongs solely neither in the Cherokee nor white world; ultimately she decides some searches are unnecessary to validate her newfound sense of self. To emphasize Cloud's affinity with both cultures, Moore incorporates Cherokee language into the dialogue, thereby elevating the work to cultural resistance and testament to survival. Finally, just as blood memories live on in people, so, too, do memories live on in the ancient landscape.
The mountains of western North Carolina are the main setting of the novel and Judaculla Rock is an actual landmark, site of mysterious petroglyphs that Cloud interprets as the story of a battle. Perhaps Cloud projects her own spiritual battle onto the rock carvings, but we accept her interpretation as valid for being so hard-won. Moore has stated that she had to grow spiritually in order to develop her work. (Interview at The Read on WNC: http://thereadonwnc.ning.com.) Reading When the Dead Dream is truly a spiritual experience through which the reader will be changed for the better.
Reviewed by
Kimberly L. Becker
(News From Indian Country) 12-08
Readers’ Comments on When the Dead Dream:
When the Dead Dream, MariJo Moore's second novel, is a delightful continuation of Cloud's story. Without being didactic, MariJo reminds us of the realness of spirit and of the potential for healing.
- K. P. Garrison,
Cherokee Foothills Environmental Defense SC
When the Dead Dream is a spiritual journey through the toils of life; love, life, and the challenges of survival are wrapped in an intriguing story artfully told by a skilled writer.
– William Crawford,
Superintendent of Schools,
Orange County, VA
When the Dead Dream resolves many deep, emotional and spiritual issues through its characters. This work faces head on issues of racism, homosexuality, alcoholism, abuse, miscarriage and the need for love.
Good,
honest stuff.
– Sandra Messer,
Realtor,
Fairview, NC
I enjoyed reading When the Dead Dream (what a great title for this book!) and continuing the story of Cloud and other characters from The Diamond Doorknob. What I particularly liked about it was the poetic simplicity of the writing--not a word wasted but every one put to use in creating an evocative atmosphere. The different settings and cultures all seemed real and alive to me, and true to the 1950s the book was set in. A worthy successor.
– Cheryl Dietrich,
Retired US Air Force, Freelance Writer,
Asheville, NC
This is one of those books that you can't put down. My only disappointment is that the book had to end. I am looking forward to another sequel!
– Nancy Doyle,
US Airways Flight Attendant,
Charlotte, NC
The beauty of this emergence of Cloud is the depth of self-revelation that she safely embodies. The commitment to her "self" (through the guidance of the Spirits) sets into motion an unstoppable presence of deep and abiding faith in the process of becoming a human being. It is only through spiritual faith that one can commit to faith in the human
form. Her example gives us (readers) the courage to commit to our own.
- Jackie Tice, Singer/Songwriter, Bethlehem, PA jackietice.com
I have read the When the Dead Dream! Finally! I really liked it. When I first started reading it I was thinking I may have to reread the Diamond Doorknob but YOU wrote it in such a manner as to help us remember the characters. I really enjoyed it and was glad it ended with Cloud and Levi connecting. I was not so sure they were ever going to cross paths again. I had a really hard time understanding August's speech and I am certainly glad you deciphered it for me!!!
Thanks for a great read!
- Denise Miller/Woman of all Trades,
Crockett Mills, TN
