U & D

Delight and surprise today.

I discovered new texts from two of my favorite authors.  Both are in NEW formats, demonstrating again that Native authors are not stuck in time.  I want to share:

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  Sherman Alexie

  From Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian), an IPOEM (a format for which there are specific guidelines.  It is iPhone ready, possibly written on an iPhone – but I suspect that Alexie also was thinking about the other “I”) published in Narrative, a free online creative writing journal.  “In’din Curse” can be found at this link.  I think it would be fabulous if Native Studies teachers would have students post comments to the poem – or perhaps pen letters to Alexie about it.  It turns out that Alexie has made several contributions to Narrative, many of them in “new” formats.  Take a minute to read them, or read the ones you can get to for free (I tried to pay $4.00 for a story, but was led to a page to pay $500 or more, so I missed that story…).    Appreciate the humor and insight.  Appreciate the genius of this author.  I would be cautious about sending middle schoolers blindly to Narrative, but it is OK for high school.  Discussion questions for “In’din Curse”:

• What’s up with the title?
• Who is the speaker?
• To whom is he speaking?
• Paraphrase the curse.
• Are there connections to contemporary events? To your own life?
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  Dawn Land cover

  From Joseph Bruchac, the graphic novel version of my favorite of his novels, Dawn Land (available from Amazon.com).  I own the novel in print and audio CD versions, and it is painful to me that I have  not been able to “sell it” to other teachers.  The full novel is long and contains a few instances of sexuality.  On the other hand, it is a literary vision that blends possible past with mythical past with geographical past – and contains a strong message that is true to Abenaki worldview.  I love to wonder if the Ice Men are not from the same stock as the Norse ancient gods.  When I read and listened to the novel, my wonderment and understanding of grew.  I have not seen the graphic novel, but I have ordered it.  My review will be appended here within a week.  This text has been nominated for the 2012 ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens.