Conversations with Sherman Alexie

by Nancy J. Peterson

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 Native American writers today.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherman Alexie is one of my favorite writers, and I loved learning more about him through his various interviews collected in this book. What would have made this book better? I would have liked to have seen a map of Washington state with Alexie's points of interest marked. It also would have been fun to see photographs of Alexie through the years.

[Al Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just one more very disappointed Sherman fan. His bad behavior has put a damper on what was one of my favorite reads. I am hoping and praying Alexie sorts himself out, begins to make amends, and earnestly seeks forgiveness from those he wronged as well as those of us put off by his behavior.

[stellajames · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was fairly disappointed in this book. Alexie's comments are golden, but over and over? I have the feeling the editor just gathered together any interview she could find without reading them. The first half of the book had nearly identical interviews, the same questions by different interviewers. Not Alexie's fault, they asked, he answered. The second half of the book had more variety to it, especially the last three interviews, but not enough to warrant spending a lot of money for this book.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sherman Alexie's answers are great. He's funny, insightful, and isn't afraid to voice his opinions on race.

BUT

This could have been much better organized into categories of questions asked of Sherman Alexie. INSTEAD, it is just a collection of interviews with some of the same questions repeated in various interviews. So an editor who spliced all of the similar questions together with his answers would have been so much more efficient and helpful.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book to go with any studies on Sherman Alexie. It makes him even more unique. To quote " The responsibilities of being an Indian writer are enormous. Even more than any other group of people because we have so much more to protect". He tells the truth about lots of white authors pretending to be Indian. His voice is the only true one.

[Alison G]

It's always interesting to hear what authors have to say about their own work...

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I highly respect Alexie, but this book is unnecessary for any fans to read, save for one interview that really examines the literary process.