Louise Erdrich's Pulitzer Prizewinning The night watchman is historical fiction about a community fighting back against a government set on "terminating them". Erdrich, whom I have reviewed before, is an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota and it is the story of this community's response to something called the … Continue reading Louise Erdrich, The night watchman (#BookReview)
Native American literature
Sherman Alexie, War dances (#Review)
Sherman Alexie's "War dances" is the fourteenth and last story in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers. It is also the longest story in the book, and the most intriguing in form. Sherman Alexie Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell introduces Alexie as "born in 1966, of Coeur d'Alene and Spokane heritage", meaning … Continue reading Sherman Alexie, War dances (#Review)
Beth H. Piatote, Beading lesson (#Review)
Beth Piatote's "Beading lesson" is the thirteenth of fourteen stories in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers, and with it, we move from the 1990s to the 2000s. Beth H Piatote Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell provides very little information about Piatote. It simply says that she is Nez Perce and a … Continue reading Beth H. Piatote, Beading lesson (#Review)
Eli Funaro, The dog pit (#Review)
Eli Funaro's "The dog pit" is the twelfth of fourteen stories in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers. Like the previous stories by Thomas King and Duane Niatum, it was written in the 1990s. Eli Funaro Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell provides very little information about Funaro, and I have to say … Continue reading Eli Funaro, The dog pit (#Review)
Thomas King and Natasha Donovan, Borders (#BookReview)
Earlier this year I posted on Thomas King's short story "Borders" from Bob Blaisdell's anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers. The story was written in 1991, but as I noted in my post, it has also been adapted into a teleplay for the CBC, and turned into a graphic novel for younger … Continue reading Thomas King and Natasha Donovan, Borders (#BookReview)
Thomas King, Borders (#Review)
Thomas King's "Borders" is the eleventh of fourteen stories in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers. Like the previous story by Duane Niatum, it was also written in the 1990s. Thomas King Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell provides some basic information about King, but I am supplementing that with information from Wikipedia … Continue reading Thomas King, Borders (#Review)
Duane Niatum, Crow’s sun (#Review)
Duane Niatum's "Crow's sun" is the tenth story of fourteen in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers, and moves us into the 1990s, where we will remain for the next two stories before ending up in the early 2000s. Duane Niatum Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell provides more information about Niatum than … Continue reading Duane Niatum, Crow’s sun (#Review)
Mary TallMountain, Snatched away (#Review)
Mary TallMountain's "Snatched away" is the ninth story of fourteen in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers, that I've been working through this year. It, like the previous three, was published in the 1980s, in 1988 in this case. Mary TallMountain Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell provides minimal information about her. He … Continue reading Mary TallMountain, Snatched away (#Review)
Rayna Green, High cotton (#Review)
With Rayna Green's short story, "High cotton", we pass the halfway mark in that anthology I've been posting on over the last few months, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers. We are also getting closer to the anthology's publication date of 2014, so these chronologically listed stories are starting to bunch up in … Continue reading Rayna Green, High cotton (#Review)
Jack D. Forbes, Only approved Indians can play made in USA (#Review)
The title of the next story in Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers is almost as long as the story itself. Well, not quite, but, occupying just two pages in the anthology, it is a short short story. It was first published the same year, 1983, as the previous story, "Turtle meat" by … Continue reading Jack D. Forbes, Only approved Indians can play made in USA (#Review)
Whispering Gums 