Writing Out Loud, 2005

Mountain Windsong evokes deep feelings and thoughtful reflection. It is a poignant story, powerful and disturbing.”—Wilma Mankiller

Robert J. Conley

(1940–2014)

The author of over 70 books, Robert J. Conley reaches beyond Native American stereotypes to revisit our country’s history. His novel, Mountain Windsong (1992), is an uncompromising account of the Trail of Tears that, like much of his work, also celebrates the mythic tradition of the Cherokee people. The story later became a stage musical, featuring Cherokee opera star Barbara McAlister.

More recently, Robert has written Cherokee Thoughts: Honest and Uncensored (2008), a collection of essays that cover such wide-ranging topics as tribal matriarchy and native humor.

Related listings: Wilma Mankiller and N. Scott Momaday

Did You Know...

Robert Conley had a special fan, the late Irish author Christy Brown, a cerebral palsy victim who was the subject of the film My Left Foot.

Getting Started with Robert J. Conley

Selected Works

The Way of the Priests, 1992
Mountain Windsong: A Novel of the Trail of Tears, 1992
Cherokee Thoughts: Honest and Uncensored, 2008

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