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American poet and writer John G. Neihardt (1881 1973) possessed an inquiring and spiritual mind. Thosequalities came to the fore in "Black Elk Speaks, " the story of the Lakota holy man Black Elk, for which he is best remembered. Over the course of thirty years he also wrote a five-volume epic poem, "A Cycle of the West, " which told the story of the settling of the American West. Despite Neihardt s widespread name recognition, the success of "Black Elk Speaks, " and a list of critically acclaimed books and poems, "Lonesome Dreamer"is the first biography of Neihardt in nearly forty years. Timothy G. Anderson describes Neihardt s life from his humble beginnings in Illinois, to being named poet laureate of Nebraska in 1921, to his appearance on the "Dick Cavett Show" at the age of ninety.