A Mind Spread Out on the Ground

This essay focuses on Indigenous visibility and invisibility in the world of literature. Elliott wanted to partake in this world but experienced no representation to speak of until she read her first book by an Indigenous woman at age 25. She chronicles her struggles to get published, always wondering if she comes across as too Native or not Native enough when she applies to MFA programs or submits her writing to journals. Elliott also addresses the rampant racism within literature, spanning across time; Native peoples have been exoticized and stereotyped by white writers since Europeans first stepped foot on the Americas. This essay culminates with the idea that a writer may write about experiences they don’t personally have, but Elliott believes they must do so with more than empathy: Writers must write such pieces with love. In providing this context to her place in the literary world and beyond, Elliott situates A Mind Spread Out on the Ground for her readers historically, culturally, and personally.