![]() ![]() Killing the White Man’s Indian: Reinventing Native Americans at the End of the Twentieth Century Bordewich, Fergus M. The Native Americans: An Illustrated History Ballantine, Betty and Ian Ballantine. He has a large and loyal following among Indians and non-Indians alike. His frequent readings and literary presentations around the country are well-attended and hugely successful. The Warriors Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 1997.Īlexie currently lives in Seattle with his wife, Diane, of Hidatsa/Winnebago/Potawatomie descent, and his two sons. White Men Can’t Drum New York Times Magazine, 4 October 1992. One Little Indian Boy Seattle: co-published by One Reel and Sasquatch Books, 1994. Smoke Signals New York: Hyperion Press, 1998. Ten Little Indians New York: Grove Press, 2003. The Toughest Indian in the World New York: Grove Press, 2000. Indian Killer New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1996. Reservation Blues New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1995. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1993. The Man Who Loves Salmon Boise: Limberlost Press, 1998. Water Flowing Home Boise: Limberlost Press, 1996. Seven Mourning Songs for the Cedar Flute I Have Yet to Learn to Play Walla Walla, Washington: Whitman College Book Arts Lab, 1994. I Would Steal Horses Niagara Falls, New York: Slipstream Publications, 1992. The Summer of Black Widows Brooklyn: Hanging Loose Press, 1996. Old Shirts & New Skins Los Angeles: American Indian Studies Center, UCLA, 1993. The Business of Fancydancing Brooklyn: Hanging Loose Press, 1992.įirst Indian on the Moon Brooklyn: Hanging Loose Press, 1993. Though he considers himself primarily a poet and has published eight volumes of poetry, his widespread popularity has come from his fiction and screenplays. Since 1992, Alexie’s literary career has been remarkable. While still living in Pullman, Alexie sobered up and became a popular figure at local poetry readings. Several poems written in Kuo’s class ended up in his first book, The Business of Fancydancing (1992). He credits Alex Kuo, his professor in a poetry-writing class, with helping him to discover his talent and profession as a writer. Later he enrolled at Washington State University in Pullman. Successful as a basketball player, honor society member, class president, and debater, he received a scholarship to Gonzaga University, a Jesuit College in Spokane.īut he began to drink heavily and dropped out of Gonzaga. Alexie attended junior high and high school off the reservation, in the nearby mostly white town of Reardon. His father, who often stayed home while his mother worked, read to him and gave him books. If you don’t make ‘em laugh, they’ll walk away.” (Biblio Magazine, March 1999).Īlso partly to avoid getting beat up, Alexie spent a lot of time in the reservation school library. I’m way left, but if you say it funny, people listen. ![]() I’m saying very aggressive, controversial things, I suppose, about race and gender and sexuality. I’m saying things people don’t like for me to say. That’s how I get people to listen to me now…. “People like to laugh, and when you make them laugh they listen to you. Both of his parents were alcoholics, but his mother was able to break her addiction when her son was seven years old, and she subsequently became a tribal drug and alcohol abuse counselor.Ī frail and sickly child, Alexie realized early that humor was an effective way to stave off bullies. His mother is part Spokane and a Protestant, and his father is full-blood Coeur d’Alene and a Catholic. One of six siblings, Sherman Alexie grew up in poverty on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State. So I guess there’s something to be said about the inherent humor of genocide.” In an interview with the Oregonian (July 7, 1998), he says that Smoke Signals “challenges the cinematic history of Indians.” His Indian characters are virtually new to the big screen, posing a contrast to the stereotypes of Indians as “stoic and alcoholic,” as “depressed poor people.” According to Alexie, “Indians are the most joyous people in the world.” He says, “The two funniest groups of people I’ve been around have been Indians and Jews. By all measures, it is a landmark film.Īlexie himself wanted the film to break with tradition. Based loosely on the 1994 short novel by Sherman Alexie entitled The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, it won two awards when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Smoke Signals is the first full-length feature film to be written, produced, directed, and acted (in all major roles) entirely by Native Americans.
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