How 19th-century Indigenous writers explored trauma and creativity on Access Utah

We talk with USU assistant professor of English Travis Franks about his article "The Elusive John Rollin Ridge: The Afterlives of ‘An Indian's Grave’ and His Ambiguous Literary Legacy," recently published in "Studies in American Indian Literatures."

An exploration of Ridge’s early work opens new conversations about how Indigenous writers navigated identity, trauma, and creativity in the 19th century. We talk about the fascinating life and work of John Rollin Ridge, a Cherokee writer and journalist and the first Native American to publish a novel in English.

Travis Franks received his PhD in contemporary multiethnic literatures from Arizona State University. His book project, "Settler Nativism: Colonial Origins of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment," is an analysis of literatures of the U.S., Australia, and other settler nations in which Franks argues that the current wave of nativism in these countries must be understood in relation to the original and ongoing dispossession of Indigenous peoples.

He has curated digital humanities exhibitions for AustLit, the premier online database for the study of Australian literature. He is a founding member of the revolving ensemble band known as New Heroes of the Old War.