Pauline Johnson

The poet, performer and author Pauline Johnson was born on the Six Nations Reserve in near Brantford, Ontario in 1861. Her life and work were tied up with questions of identity. Her Mohawk stage name, Tekahionwake, means "double life." Was Johnson American, British, or Canadian? Was she Mohawk, English, or "Mixed"? In the end, Johnson added up her assets and liabilities and decided that the Pauline the world would see would be "Pauline the Performance Artist"-"Pauline on Stage."

As for the real Pauline, she would keep that to herself.

Pauline Johnson: Know Who I Am is the latest installment in Canadian writer John Passfield's exploration of the concept of form and meaning in the modern novel. It is accompanied by a reflective journal and planning notebook, both available on the author's website. Other novels by Passfield include Terry Fox: Somewhere the Hurting Must Stop and John Passfield: Saturday Morning.