As someone with likely zero genetic possession coming from North American First People, I sincerely say, thank you for not killing us all in our sleep. 🙂
I read your stirring peace after a week in the Wallowas, followed by stops at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture and, just now, the Sacajawea State ParK interpretive Center at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. let’s just say there’s a theme to this week and, though loaded with an unexpected level and consistency of beauty, I have experienced a steady feeling of fundamental sadness and rage. Rich W from the Center recalled a wonderful presentation you gave followed by attempts to get you back there, paired with an anecdote about your attempt to get gas in town. Knowing the effect an isolated event of distrust/aggression has on me, I can’t begin to imagine what happens when it is compounded and condensed over many generations. Stay strong. Keep writing. And thanks for not lumping us all together.
Ah the American South…can’t nuke ‘em. Sometimes I wonder if Gore Vidal was write (see what I did there) when he said Lincoln should’ve let the South leave they had no economy other than slavery. they would’ve come crawling back in about ten years
Powerful. Cued the sound track for a few old jokes used to tell repeatedly until I reach my late 20's. I wish I could unhear/untell them AND a little reminder to keep me humble now and then is okay.
Hi Sherman, On the long ago evening when I met you ,in the early 1990s, I had never heard of you. But when I got back from my lecture in MIssoula, I told my late husband, the post-modern novelist, Ron Sukenick (1932-2004) how impressed I'd been by you, and he immediately knew exactly who you were. "Sherman Alexie? He's a great writer." He rarely said that about anyone, so you should feel honored. All best, Julia Frey
It's sincerely unfortunate that there isn't really any way to convey that at least some of us are sorry for your loss. Appreciation shades so quickly into pretending, whether in practice or perception.
"I have the retroactive wish that I could count coup on those dipshits by smacking their heads with a copy of The New Times Book Review." Great line! Just don't think they would have known what it was......
"...Adrian had included a handwritten note with that fifty-dollar bill: “Buy some typewriter ribbons and keep writing your poems..." Thank you Adrian and thank you Sherman for following his advice!
We may all have stories from differnt times and places about the "dangerous foolishness" we somehow avoided that "...could’ve ended up in the hospital or in jail." That gutteral reaction to whatever form abasemen takes will do that to one. At 77, one needs to be more careful!
Sherman, I totally agree with you on fame and the weird life. I have ironically been protected by the lack of fame. But I have been burned, and that is part of what kept me going with my writing. Don’t know if I’m making any sense at all.As a woman, I don’t trust the powers that be in the writing world, but I exclude you from that because you speak a language in which I do feel included.
I was surprised a few years ago when BR-549 (you might remember that as the ph # of Junior Sample's used car lot on the old Her Haw TV show), a sorta new age rockabilly band, did a cringe worthy cover of a song Johnny Horton did in the same time frame as Running Bear, Cherokee Boogie. I thought we were finally done with shit like that, but nope. Not a lot of fun living in such a culture, but can't imagine what it's like to be on the short end except to think it must be awful.
I grew up and lived in So. California for most of my life. The coastal cities are where lots of 'spiritual' movements happen, and pretendians are THE WORST. I also worked for a short time with a Reservation Fire Department in San Diego County. None of them had the spirituality that the pretendians did - so basically the pretendians were pulling the Great Sky (or whatever..) 'traditions' out of their asses.
Of course, it's fine to admire a culture and a heritage - but they were pretty cringe. I had been invited to a couple of 'ceremonies' and 'circles' and even though I didn't know the details of an actual Native American ritual or ceremony, these just seemed dumb. When I asked the Native American guys I worked with about it, they just smiled and shook their heads. "you went to that?" LOL
There's also a political and theological aspect. The pretendians don't model thsemselves after conservative Indians, of which there are plenty. Generally speaking, in red states, you're going to have more conservative Indians. Also, a significant percentage of Indians, especially rez Indians, are Christian. In my youth, many of the most traditionally tribal Spokane Indians were also the most Catholic.
I thought this but didn't add it to my comment. The rez Indians I worked with were Catholic, mostly. They didn't really do sweat lodges or Vision Quests looking for their Spirit Animals.
Excellent, Sherman ! Clean and sober me 27 years
Perfect explanation, Sherman! Thank you.
As someone with likely zero genetic possession coming from North American First People, I sincerely say, thank you for not killing us all in our sleep. 🙂
You are a fine writer! 🙏
I read your stirring peace after a week in the Wallowas, followed by stops at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture and, just now, the Sacajawea State ParK interpretive Center at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. let’s just say there’s a theme to this week and, though loaded with an unexpected level and consistency of beauty, I have experienced a steady feeling of fundamental sadness and rage. Rich W from the Center recalled a wonderful presentation you gave followed by attempts to get you back there, paired with an anecdote about your attempt to get gas in town. Knowing the effect an isolated event of distrust/aggression has on me, I can’t begin to imagine what happens when it is compounded and condensed over many generations. Stay strong. Keep writing. And thanks for not lumping us all together.
Good Lord, Sherman, as my mom would have said (again). I hope you know how many people appreciate your writing.
Ah the American South…can’t nuke ‘em. Sometimes I wonder if Gore Vidal was write (see what I did there) when he said Lincoln should’ve let the South leave they had no economy other than slavery. they would’ve come crawling back in about ten years
Powerful. Cued the sound track for a few old jokes used to tell repeatedly until I reach my late 20's. I wish I could unhear/untell them AND a little reminder to keep me humble now and then is okay.
Hi Sherman, On the long ago evening when I met you ,in the early 1990s, I had never heard of you. But when I got back from my lecture in MIssoula, I told my late husband, the post-modern novelist, Ron Sukenick (1932-2004) how impressed I'd been by you, and he immediately knew exactly who you were. "Sherman Alexie? He's a great writer." He rarely said that about anyone, so you should feel honored. All best, Julia Frey
"Almost all of us are still in mourning."
It's sincerely unfortunate that there isn't really any way to convey that at least some of us are sorry for your loss. Appreciation shades so quickly into pretending, whether in practice or perception.
For justice to be blind so must the just need to be.
"I have the retroactive wish that I could count coup on those dipshits by smacking their heads with a copy of The New Times Book Review." Great line! Just don't think they would have known what it was......
"...Adrian had included a handwritten note with that fifty-dollar bill: “Buy some typewriter ribbons and keep writing your poems..." Thank you Adrian and thank you Sherman for following his advice!
We may all have stories from differnt times and places about the "dangerous foolishness" we somehow avoided that "...could’ve ended up in the hospital or in jail." That gutteral reaction to whatever form abasemen takes will do that to one. At 77, one needs to be more careful!
❤️i am getting lost in all these threads. Or whatever they are. But I believe you are right that fame is a dangerous joke.
Yup
Sherman, I totally agree with you on fame and the weird life. I have ironically been protected by the lack of fame. But I have been burned, and that is part of what kept me going with my writing. Don’t know if I’m making any sense at all.As a woman, I don’t trust the powers that be in the writing world, but I exclude you from that because you speak a language in which I do feel included.
I was surprised a few years ago when BR-549 (you might remember that as the ph # of Junior Sample's used car lot on the old Her Haw TV show), a sorta new age rockabilly band, did a cringe worthy cover of a song Johnny Horton did in the same time frame as Running Bear, Cherokee Boogie. I thought we were finally done with shit like that, but nope. Not a lot of fun living in such a culture, but can't imagine what it's like to be on the short end except to think it must be awful.
I don't know that song and have no wish to find it! Tim McGraw still performs his Indian Outlaw song.
I grew up and lived in So. California for most of my life. The coastal cities are where lots of 'spiritual' movements happen, and pretendians are THE WORST. I also worked for a short time with a Reservation Fire Department in San Diego County. None of them had the spirituality that the pretendians did - so basically the pretendians were pulling the Great Sky (or whatever..) 'traditions' out of their asses.
Of course, it's fine to admire a culture and a heritage - but they were pretty cringe. I had been invited to a couple of 'ceremonies' and 'circles' and even though I didn't know the details of an actual Native American ritual or ceremony, these just seemed dumb. When I asked the Native American guys I worked with about it, they just smiled and shook their heads. "you went to that?" LOL
There's also a political and theological aspect. The pretendians don't model thsemselves after conservative Indians, of which there are plenty. Generally speaking, in red states, you're going to have more conservative Indians. Also, a significant percentage of Indians, especially rez Indians, are Christian. In my youth, many of the most traditionally tribal Spokane Indians were also the most Catholic.
I thought this but didn't add it to my comment. The rez Indians I worked with were Catholic, mostly. They didn't really do sweat lodges or Vision Quests looking for their Spirit Animals.