Customer Reviews

Survivor's Medicine: Short Stories (American Indian Literature & Critical Studies)

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4 star:		(1)
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I knew Harold Ball. I wasn't his friend because, as this book explains, for most of his life he drove people away. I wasn't at the party that changed his life, but I know some who were. In fact, I know everybody in this book. Set in the city, on the rez or on the road, these stories read as real to me as the last time I stepped out the door or walked into a truck stop. Each person has his or her own fully realized voice. But what recommends this book most to me are the narrator's voices.

Many writers talk about cultural conflict, the Relocation Act or going back to the reservation, but few express it in more than one voice. Eddie Two-Rivers has the classic short story writer's gift for implication: "It was mid-afternoon-the time of day for sighing. That second when everything is just right and silence slices through time. A slight wind rustled the leaves of a nearby tree and the moment was lost to the past." (p. 54) He evokes nostalgia: "Timber supported the town and everyone in it. I remember it as a green, blue, and brown place: forest, sky, water, and sawdust everywhere. A great place for a kid." (p 221)

Yet he also has that educated awareness that summarizes whole decades in short, sociological parapgraphs: "Bill and Glenda thought of themselves as second-generation urban Indians. Their parents had moved to Chicago's South Side during the 1950s in accordance with the Relocation Act. They met at Red's, a blues bar on Thirty-fifth and Archer Avenue. It was love at first sight. They dated a couple of weeks then decided to live together. Their families disapproved so they moved to the more liberal North Side. Both had been raised in working-class homes. Both regarded their families as being provincial, not with the times." (p. 144)

But Eddie Two-Rivers also understands deeply the power of writing to heal communities and make each of us whole: "Everybody got something they do to make themselves feel better. Writing is my medicine." (p. 83)

You may see it in other writers; you can hear it here.

Ed Two-River's book Survivor's Medicine is an important contribution to the literary world both for Indians and non-Indians. The stories unfold to present a fresh perspective on the human condition in general, and the reality of American Indians specifically. As an educator, the collection of stories explores a spectrum of issues and themes that makes it a dynamic book for teaching in the classroom. Each story broadens the reader's perspective about the reality of American Indians' experience today and challenges the reader to consider and question his or her own perceptions. It grapples with history, politics, and culture in a way that is accessible and poignant to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Survivor's Medicine can be used with students of all academic abilities. The story "Slow Walker: Hero of the Mud Flats Battle" which tells the story of childhood lessons and lifelong memories fought out in the bush in Canada, can be read to a third grade classroom or in a college literature class. I highly recommend this book for educators at all levels and encourage Native educators across the country to use this book with their students. Mr. Two-Rivers is a wonderful and rare role model for young Indians today. I anxiously await his next book.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book that brings back fond memories of my own Ojibwe upbringing. Two Rivers writes with a style that is raw and true to his Anishinaabe people. Gchi Migwetch Eddie!

I have known of E. Donald Two-Rivers' work since he started the "Red Path Theatre Company" of Chicago, and am glad he found the time in his busy schedule/career to write a book on short stories based upon the Native American experience(s).

Good Luck E. Donald; and may the you always stay in the Gods' favor for Poety & Muse.

David Andrew Shawanokasic, Menominee

This is a gutsy, true to life, real world description of American Indian life, that I use as an optional text in social science courses I teach, and that a college class in the humanities would benefit from immensely as a primary text. Two-Rivers has captured his own experiences in stories that resonate well with other Native peoples. Besides, he has developed his craft through poetry and prose circles, so his honest and hard-hitting messages are a pleasurable read, and disturbing to know that our system still has so much injustice in the treatment of indigenous peoples. Two-Rivers comes across clean with a surety that comes from the heart. I heartily recommend it for general audiences and for college classes.

At the time of reading Survivor's Medicine, I likened my experience to an emotional roller-coaster ride because some characters were quite provocative. I love it when books can stimulate me this way. I particularly love it when a book of fiction takes real life issues or historical facts and works them into an entertaining story. The reason why I love this is because issues of importance reaches the minds of people much faster and in a more lasting way than historical books and documentary-type articles. For example, the short story in Survivor's Medicine about the two brothers taken away from their father by Social Services and raised separately shows the emotional impact and possible resulting dysfunction that a purely factual account would never capture. For me, fictional stories enter the ear so much easier, plant a seed of interest that in turn can then inspire action to want to know more and help remedy a problem that is in need of more concerned peoples involvement. The opening story was a heartwarming one with the vivid description of the women and their characters. The writer described all so matter-of-factly, without judgment, which seemed to be how they viewed each other too. Without the judgment on whether their traits were good or bad, their descriptions let you see the beauty in each one. So often, a description has to carry a judgment to guide you how to feel about it. I didn't feel that at all when reading about these women and was left feeling warm about the friendship among them. I especially enjoyed the hilarious childhood-type stories and their vivid description. These could easily spin off into a series of children's stories. I would love to see the story of Joe Walks Bear turned into a movie. After reading through the short stories, one ends up in agreement that a survivor's medicine is truly laughter.

This is a really wondeful collection of stories. Two-Rivers takes us from Sapawe, Ontario to the streets of Chicago with stories that are immediate and from the heart. He is a terrific writer who takes us on a great journey of distance, time, and emotion.

Surviving.... that's what this book is about. That's what bein Indian is about! Mr. Two-Rivers has pinned the tail on the donkey with this book. He offers a true, honest and reflective insight into real Indian life. Using his own life stories of survival, he weaves a story of Indian experience like a master. The reader will laugh, cry and steam, and come away with a new perspective and understanding of what it means to grow up Indian in America. Miigwetch (Thank you) to E. Donald Two-Rivers for surviving. And for telling us about his 'Survivors Medicine'....

This is a terrific collection of short stories, by somebody who's poised to do great work as a prose writer after finding acclaim as a poet. It's wonderful. These stories take well-defined, evocative characters and bring them through situations that are pretty natural, or at least not wildly fictional, but which transforms the reader, maybe more than it does them. The nice thing about this book is that while it does most certainly deal with issues and identities pertanent to Native Americans/Canadians its scope is far broader, and it fully transcends particular ethnicities.

It's superbly written, funny and touching. You can't go wrong.

I found this book very informative about the growing up experiences of native Americans. I would recommend this book to everyone who would like to know more about our native Americans. This book would be a great gift to our young adults so that they could better understand the native American culture.