The Fus Fixico Letters

Book excerpt: At the turn of the century, Muscogee (Creek) journalist, poet, and political humorist Alexander Posey (1873-1908) was widely read in Oklahoma and throughout the nation. His most enduring literary legacy is the persona of Fus Fixico (sometimes translated as "Heartless Bird"), whose "conversations" with other fictional characters brilliantly satirized local and national politics and politicians at the turn of the century, especially the government's Indian policy. This richly annotated edition features a foreword by A. LaVonne Brown Ruoff, which is a tribute to Carol A. Petty Hunter, long a champion of Posey's writings. Hunter had begun editing this project when her life was cut short in 1987.