Enchanted Magic: Exploring Identity, Trauma, and Cultural Heritage through Elissa Washuta’s Work Elissa Washuta, a Native American author, mesmerizes readers with her enchanting writing style and powerful exploration of identity, trauma, and cultural heritage. Through her captivating words, Washuta takes us on a journey that intertwines personal experiences with mythology, history, and a profound connection to the land. In her memoir "My Body Is a Book of Rules," Washuta delves into her own life, documenting her struggle with bipolar disorder, addiction, and the impact of trauma. Her unflinching honesty and vulnerability make her writing deeply relatable, particularly for those who have experienced similar challenges. While her story is unique to her, it speaks to universal themes of self-discovery and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. One of the defining aspects of Washuta's work is her exploration of Native American culture and heritage.
Washuta's story and struggles become a metaphor for the toll of colonialism on generations of Indigenous people like herself. Readers of recovery narratives, women's issues, and keenly observed social commentary will be rewarded here.
— Library Journal
These pages are windows into a black lodge where Twin Peaks and Fleetwood Mac are on repeat sometimes forward, sometimes backwards, sometimes in blackout blur. You re going to feel like you re drownfloating reading this diary of pain and meditation and wish for magic where every word helps Elissa Washuta s soul return to her body.
One of the defining aspects of Washuta's work is her exploration of Native American culture and heritage. She examines the complexities of identity as a Native person in modern society, navigating the tensions between tradition and the demands of a changing world. Through her writing, she unearths the richness of Native traditions, challenges misconceptions, and dismantles stereotypes.
White Magic (Paperback)
Throughout her life, Elissa Washuta has been surrounded by cheap facsimiles of Native spiritual tools and occult trends, “starter witch kits” of sage, rose quartz, and tarot cards packaged together in paper and plastic. Following a decade of abuse, addiction, PTSD, and heavy-duty drug treatment for a misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder, she felt drawn to the real spirits and powers her dispossessed and discarded ancestors knew, while she undertook necessary work to find love and meaning.
In this collection of intertwined essays, she writes about land, heartbreak, and colonization, about life without the escape hatch of intoxication, and about how she became a powerful witch. She interlaces stories from her forebears with cultural artifacts from her own life—TwinPeaks, the Oregon Trail II video game, a Claymation Satan, a YouTube video of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham—to explore questions of cultural inheritance and the particular danger, as a Native woman, of relaxing into romantic love under colonial rule.
Bracingly honest and powerfully affecting, White Magic establishes Elissa Washuta as one of our best living essayists.
About the Author
Washuta is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and a nonfiction writer. She is the author of Starvation Mode and My Body Is a Book of Rules, named a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. With Theresa Warburton, she is co-editor of the anthology Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers. She is an assistant professor of creative writing at the Ohio State University.
Praise For…
Necessary and magical.
— NPR
Exactly what you need right now.
— O, The Oprah Magazine
A web of honest examination of self and context. . . . A vibration that asks the body to listen, and rewards it for doing so.
— The Seattle Times
Nobody in the country uses more innovative nonfiction forms than Washuta.
— The Stranger
A well of invention and imagination.
— The Believer
A fascinating magic trick of a memoir that illuminates a woman's search for meaning.
— Kirkus, Starred Review
Her skill at transforming writing clichés and well-worn cultural signifiers into fresh insights is alchemical.
— The A.V. Club
Incredible.
— Book Riot
Seamless and scalding.
— Guernica
Incantatory, impassioned. . . . [A] wholly magical look at learning how to recognize the power that rests within you.
— Refinery29
Resonant and weighty.
— BuzzFeed
An innovative and deeply felt work to sink into.
— The Millions
As an essay collection, White Magic is as beautifully complex as it is illuminating. Washuta is a conjurer here, able to effortlessly showcase her talents while simultaneously pulling you close, as if she might suddenly reveal all her secrets. She is a genius at the art of subtle misdirection. Reading this book felt like being shown an expertly performed magic trick: deftly, flawlessly. No loose threads revealed. The work is funny and wry, it's thought-provoking and tender. It's a sleight of hand performed by a true master of the craft. White Magic is magnificent and Elissa Washuta is spellbinding. There is no one else like her.
— Kristen Arnett, author of Mostly Dead Things
Elissa Washuta is exactly the writer we need right now: as funny as she is formidable a thinker, as thoughtful as she is inventive—her scrutiny is a fearless tool, every subject whittled to its truest form. White Magic is a bracingly original work that enthralled me in a hypnosis on the other side of which I was changed for the better, more likely to trust my own strange intelligence.
— Melissa Febos, author of Whip Smart, Abandon Me, & Girlhood
White magic, red magic, Stevie Nicks magic—this is Elissa Washuta magic, which is a spell carved from a life, written in blood, and sealed in an honesty I can hardly fathom.
— Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indian
In brilliant, clear-eyed prose, Elissa Washuta maps a magical passage into (and back out of) the underworld, through knotty legacies of violence and longing and love. Part history, part riddle, part portal: this book worked on me like a spell. I've never read anything like White Magic, and will be returning to it again and again.
— Claire Comstock-Gay, author of Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars
You're going to feel like you’re drownfloating reading this diary of pain and meditation and wish for magic where every word helps Elissa Washuta’s soul return to her body. White Magic is as haunting as the work of Beckylane’s Where The Rivers Join and as eerily hypnotic as Kate Schatz’s Rid of Me. These pages are windows into a black lodge where Twin Peaks and Fleetwood Mac are on repeat—sometimes forward, sometimes backwards, sometimes in blackout blur. I stand in awe of everything here. What an incredible and wounding read.
— Richard Van Camp, author of The Lesser Blessed and Godless but Loyal to Heaven
- Literary Collections / Essays
- Literary Collections / Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
- Literary Collections / Women Authors
- Kobo eBook (April 26th, 2021): $17.95
- Hardcover (April 27th, 2021): $26.95
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Washuta's connection to her cultural heritage is palpable in her writing, as she weaves in traditional stories and myths that speak to her own experiences. These tales become a thread that ties together the past and the present, grounding her narrative in a profound sense of history and belonging. By honoring the stories passed down through generations, she honors the resilience and wisdom of her ancestors. Furthermore, Washuta's deep connection to the land is evident throughout her work. She writes of the Pacific Northwest landscape with a reverence that reflects her spiritual connection to nature. Whether she is hiking through forests or visiting sacred sites, the presence of the land is a constant companion in her storytelling. In conclusion, Elissa Washuta's writing is a testament to the power of storytelling in exploring and understanding the self. Through her memoirs and essays, she invites readers into her world and encourages them to reflect on their own experiences of identity, trauma, and cultural heritage. Her enchanting prose, combined with her deep connection to Native American culture and the land, creates a reading experience that is both enlightening and transformative. Washuta's work serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of reclaiming personal narratives and honoring the stories that shape who we are..
Reviews for "The Timeless Appeal of Enchanted Magic in Elissa Washuta's Literary Universe"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "Enchanted magic elissa washuta" to be quite confusing and disjointed. The narrative jumps around so much that it was difficult for me to keep track of what was happening. The language also felt unnecessarily flowery and pretentious, making it hard to connect with the characters or the story. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - This book had a promising premise, but the execution fell flat for me. The writing style was overly descriptive and verbose, making it a struggle to get through. Additionally, the characters lacked depth and the plot seemed to meander without a clear direction. I wanted to enjoy "Enchanted magic elissa washuta", but unfortunately, it left me feeling unsatisfied.
3. Michael - 1 star - I couldn't even finish reading "Enchanted magic elissa washuta". The writing was convoluted and filled with unnecessary metaphors and obscure references. It felt like the author was trying too hard to be profound and it ended up detracting from the story. I found myself constantly confused and frustrated, and eventually gave up on trying to make sense of it all. Definitely not a book I would recommend.