Diversity in All Forms! discussion
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (September 2017)
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I read this one several years ago and am hoping that my memory of it kicks in as others comment.
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Yeah me too! I can't decide if I want to re-read it or just go off of what I remember haha
Mariah wrote: "Jean wrote: "I read this one several years ago and am hoping that my memory of it kicks in as others comment."Yeah me too! I can't decide if I want to re-read it or just go off of what I remember..."
I'm hoping that my memory kicks in because I've got a ton of books to read in August. The same goes for the Color Purple.
***This the post that I was speaking of in mess. 5. So it does post your comments. Good to know.
GRs now has group discussions next to sign-in. I answered this post by Mariah on that thread but it is not showing up here.
I'm currently reading the author(Sherman Alexie) memoir. I may join in and read this one after I'm finished.
This is my first book by Sherman Alexie and it was awesome. It is the story of a fourteen year old, Spokane Indian (Arnold Spirit Jr.). The book covers such topics as friendship, abuse, alcoholism, death, and teenage sexuality. It covers the issue of ethnicity and the stress it places on the teenage psyche. I loved how Arnold drew cartoons to handle the stress and grief. His hope changed his outlook on his feelings of being an outsider and his view of the Spokane reservation.
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I completely agree! I read this as a high schooler and I remember how great the author was at making me feel for the main character.
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Hmmm.. that is super interesting! I have never heard of that before. Is it still there?
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I may join in and read this one after I'm finished."
How is that going? I'd like to read it someday.
Mariah wrote: "Jean wrote: "GRs now has group discussions next to sign-in. I answered this post by Mariah on that thread but it is not showing up here."Hmmm.. that is super interesting! I have never heard of th..."
It's still there and now is working wonderfully. It's the icon right next to notifications. When you click on it it shows you all the new posts from your various groups. Kudos to GRs!
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Hmmm.. that is super interesting! I have ne..."
Wow! That is super cool! I am going to use this all the time now :p
I just recently read this book for the first time (gasp!) and it's not what I expected. Since it was on ALA's banned book list for a few years, I thought it would be more,... disturbing? I find it hard to believe people found this book worth challenging. It was a quick read, lacking a bit of depth (but maybe that's because the narrator takes things pretty light). Either way, I enjoyed the book as an adult. Not sure how I would've felt reading it as a teen, tho.
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This was on a banned book list? Wow! I wonder why.
Just started this book. Hoping to finish by next week. My copy I got from a library has tons of notes in it by a previous reader. It is driving me crazy. Keeps spoiling it and distracting me. Uggh!
I enjoyed watching SMOKE SIGNALS (1998) years ago.Then more recently I came accross this Big Think Interview With Sherman Alexie online.
I was curious to hear more about him so I watched more videos including this Moyers & Company interview entitled Sherman Alexie on Living Outside Borders.
It was interesting to listen to these two discussing different topics, JESSE EISENBERG LECTURE IN SEATTLE 2016 WITH SHERMAN ALEXIE.
After watching videos I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and enjoyed the coming of age story, his relationships, and descriptions of events happening around him.
Finished it yesterday. Such a fast read. I was impressed that the book covered such deep and difficult to talk about topics such as alcoholism, death, and other hard topics, but yet the narrator was so funny and fun to read.
This was my favorite of the Sherman Alexie books that I've read. I thought his use of cartoons, humor, narrative was really creative and the story itself was gripping.
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What other books have you read by the author?
I have read "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fight in Heaven" and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" plus some of his other short story collections whose names I can't think of right now.
Is it a novel, short stories, or a memoir?
Mariah wrote: "This was on a banned book list? Wow! I wonder why."A majority of the books challenged each year were written by diverse authors and/or have diverse content. For instance, all of the top 5 most challenged books last year have LGBT characters, and were challenged on the basis of having LGBT charaters.
In regard to this book, here are the reasons it was challenged: "anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying” http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/fr...
Additional reasons include "vulgarity, racism, anti-Christian content." http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexper...
Lisa wrote: "Is it a novel, short stories, or a memoir?"It's a novel.
Blue wrote: "I think Sherman Alexie wouldn't mind for me to mention that he is Native American. His nationality adds to the power of his writing. He has a great sense of humor too. I'm glad both of you mentione..."I doubt he would mind. He doesn't (and shouldn't have to) hide that he is Spokane/Coeur d'Alene.
He is an awesome writer, and this book is well-loved.
My favorite of his is still "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian."
This one is very well done, although I think my favorite of those I've read by him is Reservation Blues. I had the opportunity to meet him and hear him speak in September, and it was awesome!
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie