Welcome to our November issue, Native American Stories. This issue takes a look at American Indian literature and cultures then and now.

READ turns an eye toward one Cherokee man who took an interest in the written word, Sequoyah. Our Center Stage play, “Sequoyah and His Talking Leaves,” by Wim Coleman, tells the story of Sequoyah's syllabary and how he brought the written word to the Cherokee people.

We also sample the folktale tradition with a creation myth called “The Earth on Turtle’s Back.” Famed Native American writer Joseph Bruchac recounts the tale.

The LSI examines a section of Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War to find out how to make a nonfiction story great.

Moving to modern day, this issue includes a story from Cynthia Leitich Smith entitled “A Real-Live Blond Cherokee and his Equally Annoyed Soul Mate.” This story explores the relationship a teenager living in mainstream white culture has to his heritage. READ magazine even got an exclusive interview with the author, which we've entitled “A Real-Live Brunette Author and her Equally Compelling Story.”

And, don’t forget, this special edition of READ features an EXTRA CENTER STAGE PLAY as a preview for our upcoming electronic issue, devoted to the Bard. The play, “Mac and Beth,” is a modern adaptation of, you guessed it, the Scottish play. Don’t forget to check out the electronic Shakespeare issue, coming out November 30.

If you have any comments, questions, concerns, or if you just want to say hello, you can write to us at read@weeklyreader.com. And don't forget to check out our literary blog, WORD, at www.readandwriting.com!

Sincerely,

The Editors of READ Magazine.