27 Comments
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Grace Drigo's avatar

This is so freakin good. I couldn’t stop reading. 🩵

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Sharon's avatar

An emotionally powerful story. I wonder how many people go through life wounded like this. I'm not a Christian, but I believe in the teachings of Jesus, particularly the need and power of redemption. I hope your main character finds it. I feel like saying, go forth and be of use to someone and/or something.

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Peter Gimpel's avatar

BS"D

I reread the beginning and the ending. OK, I get it. Sorry to take so long.

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Katelon's avatar

Thank you for sharing this very sad and powerful story. I really enjoyed your writing and the depth of emotion portrayed.

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Kathy Downs's avatar

What an excellent story! I was right in there with her. Your writing is truly captivating and full, deep, rich with emptiness. Thank you. Where do you prefer I buy your work? Keep it up, please.

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Mavis Moon's avatar

Sherman, I tried to find the book you said you’re reading but I only found A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst, not Jan Hayada, who I cannot find at all. The story by Elmhirst was featured on the podcast This is Love, which I found fascinating. Did you mean that one or can you send me a link to the one you meant?

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Chris Ryan's avatar

So good. So true.

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Mavis Moon's avatar

I so enjoyed listening to this! Evoked thoughts on writing, jokes, Indians, Whites, poetry, stories, imagining the thoughts of others, …

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Mixelle Garcia's avatar

This story became so profound. I am glad I discovered your writing by watching Smoke Signals all that time ago.

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Eric Todd's avatar

I wish I was articulate enough to describe all the places that this story took me.

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Andrea Stein's avatar

Enjoyed the podcast. We learn so much from a deep dive into one story or poem.

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Jim Stewart's avatar

Powerful. Thanks for this.

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Micky Mitchell's avatar

A wonderful story!

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radicaledward's avatar

Thanks again for coming on the show, Sherman!

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

It truly is a career highlight!

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radicaledward's avatar

You're gonna make me blush, haha

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Hahahaha

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Elaine's avatar

I am sorry, and I'm offended for Melissa. You are a good storyteller; however, I do not believe you have the right to judge her. Nor do I believe you have the right to try to cast aspersions on her to mitigate your crime - and yes it was a crime. And your 'privilege' was another crime.

Stalking those girls, was wrong. Your Aunt Patty said you had no right to invade their lives and she was bang on. My issue comes from you denigrating Melissa from the beginning. Leaving the girls alone to go drinking is horrible. So is being marginalized.

I don't think your boyfriend was a good person, yet I have to say, the fact that a bunch of people you went to school with did this to you says a lot about you, too.

All the add-on info.. to me, excuses...Is this story and all your justifications how you were able to put the accident behind you? It seems a bit too easy. I weep for Melissa, and my heart sits with her daughters, and her mother..

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

What are you talking about? This is a short story. It's fiction.

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Elaine's avatar

LOL that was my point.. You wove it so well, i was standing up for the woman who died.. Apologies should have made that clear.. I was pulled away and didn't get to add a second comment.. you really are a spellbinding writer..

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Yeesh, I thought you were an extreme version of the people who confuse fictional narrators with the author. And I thought I gonna have to explain (to likely hostile ears) that I'm not the "you" you were addressing and that I fiction is meant to evoke strong emotional response.

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Elaine's avatar

The give away for me is you appear to be a gentleman.. When I was getting training to be a speaker, I worked with Lisa Nichols, who did that for the spoken word... evoked such a response many participants were in tears.. and tried to comfort Lisa after..She had prefaced the scene with the truth and yet, her delivery was such that they all lost that bit of info..

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ADHD Academic's avatar

None of the white people in this story have a home to go to. I’m still thinking about that.

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