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Autobiographical Interventions in the US West, 1835-1935

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Autobiographical Interventions in the US West, 1835-1935 Rough Forms: Autobiographical Interventions in the U.S. West, 1835-1935 By © 2019 Rachel Linnea Brown PhD, University of Kansas, 2019 MFA, Colorado State University, 2014 BA, University of Central Missouri, 2011 Submitted to the graduate degree program in English and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Chair: Dr. Laura L. Mielke Dr. Doreen Fowler Dr. Randall Fuller Dr. Maryemma Graham Dr. Robert Warrior Dr. Sara M. Gregg Date Defended: 2 May 2019 The dissertation committee for Rachel Linnea Brown certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Rough Forms: Autobiographical Interventions in the U.S. West, 1835-1935 Chair: Dr. Laura L. Mielke Date Approved: 2 May 2019 ii Abstract Rough Forms analyzes U.S. Western autobiographies from 1835 to 1935, focusing especially on ways that Native and non-Native authors complicate settler-colonial narratives. In doing so, my project deeply engages with two interrelated questions: “What kinds of stories does the settler tell?” (to quote Alan Lawson) and “What kinds of stories does society tell about the settler?” Settler-colonial theory describes the process through which settlers physically and narratively displace Native peoples. Scholars such as Alan Lawson and Margaret Jacobs typically use this theory to demonstrate how Anglophone authors and historical figures ignore or erase Native traditions. Over an introduction and four chapters, I prove that settler-colonial theory applies to a range of autobiographical texts, including works by Jotham Meeker (a Euro- American missionary and diarist), George Bent (a Southern Cheyenne warrior-writer), Robert and Daisy Anderson (African American homesteaders and self-publishers), and Alice Gossage (a Euro-American newspaperwoman and diarist). The dynamic local figures that I study share networks with and often respond directly to better known American authors such as Charles Eastman, Booker T. Washington, and Hamlin Garland, but scholars have not yet considered their writings together in order to deepen our literary history of the U.S. West. By linking traditional settler narratives, efforts to recover Native agency, defenses of women’s rights and writing, and studies of alphabetic, visual, material, and spatial literacies, Rough Forms crucially reframes U.S. Western autobiographical texts as dynamic sites of cultural and textual exchange whose authors uniquely establish and/or complicate regional belonging. Far from being merely of local interest, their dynamic intercultural and multiformal texts greatly increase our understanding of nineteenth- and early-twentieth century American literary studies by critiquing settler-colonial erasure and providing vibrant archives of resistance rarely seen in more canonical works. iii Acknowledgments I could fill a whole dissertation with gratitude for my truly incredible network of family, friends, and mentors. I couldn’t have managed this project alone, and I’m thrilled for the chance to share how much everyone means to me and how deeply they have shaped my life and work. First, I would like to give a million thanks to my parents, Kevin and Deana Brown, for their unwavering assistance and support (especially over the past five years of doctoral studies!). In addition to inspiring me to persevere and pursue my dreams, my parents have also generously contributed photographs of locations and artifacts I could not access, helped me gather resources from out-of-state libraries, lent me their own books on women’s writing and the U.S. West, cared for my dog while I embarked on research trips and presented at conferences, and proofread parts of Rough Forms. It’s been a joy to connect with them through this project, and I have so greatly appreciated all that my parents have done. They’ve gone above and beyond, and I am delighted that Rough Forms honors their own deep love for, knowledge of, and ties to the U.S. West. Many thanks as well to Jennifer Brown, my younger sister, who kindly let me use her beautiful Pea Ridge, Arkansas, photographs in the second appendix, and to Angela Cloud, my youngest sister, who has always believed in me. They’re both strong, intelligent, creative, hard- working, and talented. I’m immensely proud of them, and I’m also extremely grateful for their advice and optimism. To my whole family: I love you, and I’m super thankful for everything! I also want to extend many thanks and much love to Matt Bristow, who has been an invaluable source of help and comfort as I finished my dissertation. Not only is Matt a talented photographer (his pictures appear throughout Rough Forms), but his passion for and knowledge of Western history has intimately shaped this project. I’ve learned so much! His encouragement has also reinvigorated me at several key moments during the drafting and editing process, and I iv appreciate all he has done to make this academic marathon successful. Thanks for being terrific, Matt, and I look forward to many more historical and outdoor adventures! Baby, my chocolate Labrador, deserves special thanks too. We’ve been together since high school. As I’ve pursued my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies, she has been curled up by my side or eagerly leading the way on a long walk. Baby’s love, patience, positivity, spirit of adventure, spunk, and bravery have meant the world (and have also reminded me to set aside time for quiet and meaningful moments). She and I have grown up, learned a ton, and crossed many miles together, and I am beyond grateful for her gentle companionship. Thank you for sharing your life with me, Baby! Baby Brown in the Black Hills Outside my family, I am deeply indebted to an amazing group of friends who have all provided comfort, advice, good memories, and encouragement throughout this academic journey. Joy Allen Polson, friend and neighbor, has been such a gift. Not only do we watch the Bachelor v together (stress relief!), but I’ve also learned so much about life from our talks. Joy helped keep me on track while I was drafting dissertation chapters in 2018 and early 2019; she reminded me that I couldn’t write a dissertation overnight. Thanks to Joy, I wrote at least a little each day! Cynthia White, Hannah Johnson, Tara Glore, Julia Clearman (my cousin, who is also pursuing her PhD), Kelly Edmondson, Jennifer Lawson, and Kristin Pusch are all also extremely wonderful and life-long friends. I know that my life (and the whole world!) is brighter for having them in it, and their friendship has been such an inspiration and solace (from long texts and talks to laughter, homemade goodies, and outdoor adventures when we are together). I’m so glad that we know each other, and I’m excited that we are all accomplishing amazing things in our lives. KU has sparked many remarkable personal and professional connections as well. I am especially grateful to Olivia Cooper, Marcus Höhne, Divya Bhalla, Megan Dennis, Megan Jones, Matthew Broussard, Natasha Myhal, Mercedes Lucero, Leighann Thone, Hannah Warren, Brian Steinbach, and Brittney Tyler-Milholland (among others!) for the great memories, collaboration, and support. You all rock! I wouldn’t be where I am today without the spectacular mentors who shaped my work and inspired me to pursue a career in English. Mike Shields, Sarah Esser, Dr. Celia Kingsbury, Dr. Dan Schierenbeck, Wayne Miller, Kevin Prufer, Tony Shaffer, and Dr. Ellen Brinks have all made such an impact. Together, they sparked in me a passion for academia and the confidence to express myself as a writer, teacher, and scholar. Thank you for helping guide my early work, for modeling the type of thoughtful teacher I’ve aspired to become, and for all your encouragement along the way. Of course, Dr. Laura L. Mielke, my KU advisor and dissertation chair, deserves special recognition. Laura is a brilliant teacher, researcher, and mentor who has given an extraordinary vi amount of attention and care to my progress as a doctoral student at KU. I owe so much to her tireless efforts to help me professionalize, network, and grow as a teacher and scholar—all while making me feel like a valued colleague. Not only did Laura help me secure travel and research funding, but she also kindly asked me to be her graduate research assistant twice. I was honored to learn more about research and academic publishing as her assistant, and I am forever grateful for the chance it gave me to focus on my own research and writing. Laura has also gone beyond her job description to introduce me to scholars at conferences, promote my work, and proofread countless drafts of job application materials and dissertation chapters. Laura is by far the world’s best advisor as well as a terrific human being. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you have given me, and thanks a million for offering both the space and guidance I needed to grow! I want to give a hearty thanks as well to Dr. Randall Fuller and Dr. Misty Schieberle. Although he was a new KU faculty member in 2017 (when I was in the early stages of writing my dissertation), Randall generously agreed to join my dissertation committee. Since then, I have greatly benefited from Randall’s enthusiastic and insightful engagement with my work as well as his support while on the job market; thanks to Randall’s efforts, I have become a more confident scholar and job candidate. Misty has also profoundly influenced me by kindly offering some of the most specific and thorough feedback I have ever received, ultimately pushing me to become a more reflective and attentive writer and scholar.
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