Conversations with Sherman Alexie (Literary Conversations) [Paperback]

Nancy J. Peterson (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Literary Conversations | Publication Date: October 27, 2009

Sherman Alexie (b. 1966) gained national attention upon release of The Business of Fancydancing, his first collection of poems, in 1992, when a critic for the New York Times Book Review called him "one of the major lyric voices of our time." More recently, in 2007, Alexie won a National Book Award for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a young-adult novel based on his own high school experiences.

In Conversations with Sherman Alexie, the writer displays the same passion, dynamic sense of humor, and sharp observational skills that characterize his work. The interviews ranging from 1993 to 2007 feature Alexie speaking candidly about the ideas and themes behind poetry collections (I Would Steal Horses, First Indian on the Moon), short story collections (The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Ten Little Indians), novels (Indian Killer, Reservation Blues), and screenplays (Smoke Signals).

Coeur d'Alene through his father and Spokane through his mother, Alexie grew up in Wellpinit on the Spokane Indian Reservation in eastern Washington. Reservation life is a central concern in his work, as are politics, love, contemporary literature, city living (he now lives in Seattle), and his beloved sport of basketball. Alexie's wit, polemical engagement, and willingness to confront received notions have made him one of the most popular American Indian writers today.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Interviews with the American Indian author of the short story collections Ten Little Indians and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven; the National Book Award-winning young adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian; and the screenplay Smoke Signals

About the Author

Nancy J. Peterson is associate professor of English and American studies at Purdue University. She is the author of Beloved: Character Studies and Against Amnesia: Contemporary Women Writers and the Crises of Historical Memory.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1604732806
• ISBN-13: 978-1604732801
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't normaly read interviews, January 4, 2010

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This review is from: Conversations with Sherman Alexie (Literary Conversations) (Paperback)

Humor can make bitter truths palatable. Sherman Alexie is a master of telling the truth with humor. He is also a master at telling everyone's truth, not just his own.
This book contains 22 interviews by and articles about Mr. Alexie. I would not have chosen to read this many interviews, since I thought they would be carbon copies of the same interview. Not so. Each is a distinct and unique look at some aspect of both man and writer.
Sherman Alexie has facile and humorous way of turning a question, even an insult, to his advantage.
If you ever intend to be interviewed, read this book.
If you ever intend to interview anyone, read this book.
If you want a deeper understanding of what is like to be Native Americans, read this book.
If you want insight into how a gifted writer works, read this book.
If you want to be amused, challenged and enlightened, read this book.