This collection of short fiction from Mohawk writer Maurice Kenny pushes us to explore truth or what we may perceive as truth, showing us different truths: truth of character, natural truth, everyday truth. Tortured Skins and Other Fictions, fourteen in number, form a cohesive study of characters and the anxiety provoking landscapes they inhabit—seemingly idyllic settings are inverted, becoming corrupt backdrops for slaughter and destruction—a broad metaphor for the relationships between the natives of this continent and its later colonizers.
The bear, as a trickster figure, resurfaces in various guises, various "'skins," throughout the pieces, confronting oblivious characters with their relationships to their worlds. These stories reflect today's world, merging its preoccupations of pop culture and paranormal occurrences. with the long oral tradition motif of animals existing as teachers with sometimes dubious methods—the X-Files colliding with contemporary Native American fiction.
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About the Author
Maurice Kenny, Mohawk, is an internationally renowned writer of poetry, fiction, and plays. Maurice's book of poems, Blackrobe: Isaac Jogues, B. March 11, 1607, D. October 18, 1646 was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, as was Between Two Rivers. He is the recipient of a National Public Radio Award for Broadcasting. His book The Mama Poems received the American Book Award in 1984. The Bloomsbury Review cited Wounds Beneath the Flesh as the best anthology of 1983. Maurice's work has been published in almost 100 journals, including special issues on Native American writing such as Trends, the Scottish journal from Paisley College, the Calaloo special issue on Native American writing, and World Literature Today. Other journals include American Indian Quarterly, Blue Cloud Quarterly, Wicazo Sa Review, Saturday Review, and the New York Times.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Independent Publisher Review,
This review is from: Tortured Skins and Other Fictions (Paperback)
"This collection constitutes a compelling blend of the natural world with the spiritual, a fusion central to Native American lore; it will long linger with its readers." -Deborah Donovan, Independent Publisher
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A poetic treasure of prose,
By A Customer
This review is from: Tortured Skins and Other Fictions (Paperback)
Maurice Kenny, best known throughout the world for his award-winning poetry, has put together a set of short stories that stay with you forever. Strong imagery and subtle character building give each story punch, surprise, humor and memorability. The stories flow one to another - never straying from Kenny's strong ties to Native American themes and characters. Each morsel should be savored. I tried to read one a day to have time to reflect and digest each before going on to the next. I confess - I couldn't always control myself!
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