EnglishEssay Preview: EnglishReport this essaySherman Alexie was born in 1966 and grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Winner of a 1991 Washington State Arts Commission poetry fellowship and a 1992 National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowship, Alexie has published more than two hundred poems, stories, and translations in publications such as Another Chicago Magazine, Beloit Poetry Journal,Black Bear Review, Caliban,Journal of Ethnic Studies,Hanging Loose Press,New York Quarterly, Red Dirt,Slipstream,ZYZZYVA, and others. His first book of poetry and short stories, The Business of Fancydancing was published by Hanging Loose Press in January 1992 and quickly earned a favorable front-page review from The New York Times Book Review. This first poetry book was the result of poems and stories written in Alexies first creative writing workshop at Washington State University in Pullman. Alexie soon published a second collection, I Would Steal Horses, which was the winner of Slipstreams fifth annual Chapbook Contest in March 1992. In January 1993, he published a third poetry book, Old Shirts and New Skins (UCLA American Indian Studies Center). By early 1993, Alexie had written three books. Atlantic Monthly Press contracted to publish a collection of Alexies short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven was published to much critical acclaim. The short stories in this collection, like many of Alexies other works, reveal his awareness of the despair, poverty, and alcoholism that is an unescapable part of the daily life of many Native Americans. Alexie poignantly stated: “[Indians] have a way of surviving. But its almost like Indians can easily survive the big stuff. Mass murder, loss of language and land rights. Its the small things that hurt the most. The white waitress who wouldnt take an order, Tonto, the Washington Redskins.”
While growing up in Wellpinit, Alexie read everything he could get his hands on, including auto repair manuals in the public library. He had aspirations of becoming a doctor until fainting three times in a high school anatomy class and deciding that an early career change was in order. He attended college for a while, but before dropping out, over 200 of his poems had been published. Alexie often refers to his writing as “fancydancing,” a name given the changes Native American veterans of World War II made to their traditional dances. Through the early 1990s many of Alexies characters were wrought with hopelessness fueled by alcohol. By 1995 however the thrust of his writing was beginning to change and People called his then just-published Reservation Blues “a high-flying, humor spiked tale of culture and assimilation.” Alexie told People that although many regard Native Americans as overly
cultured beings, and those who are too “soupy” to do much good, many people tend to view Native American culture with respect, and he began to consider it as an important part of American life, especially in rural areas, which now require more social capital, and less formal education. As the years wore on, more people were starting to ask questions, which brought about his first book — People for the Ethical City.The project was born out of a growing desire for answers, especially over the counter meds. As much as I loved seeing those meds, people I knew had grown up in a time and place where drugs had become a common topic. Alexie wanted to show more people that people can trust what they like, and he’s starting a project to share the drug use and the lives of addicts.While reading the book, I was drawn to the themes of the book rather than the drugs. I was so drawn to the drug culture there, you would never see a place without some, or all, as drug users. Even the most “revered” drug users would find themselves fighting to make ends meet. I loved seeing as many of the “drug kings” as I could get my hands on were also drug users, and at age 65 they were beginning to find themselves in serious legal trouble as we speak. So I’m looking forward to sharing with a few of them a few of what I learned a few years ago. ”A book titled The Forgotten and the Unrecognised. The book focuses upon the struggle of the “revered” to navigate a world without drugs. It provides a look at the legal history of prohibition, who gets arrested and who is left behind. ‟ A look at what is seen and imagined in the drugs industry. We are told that “the drug industry makes life tough,” but “the drug problem means no work, no housing. It is a world filled with pain, poverty, and humiliation. And yet, it is also a world rife with opportunities for the lucky few that live it out.”†In 2008 Alexie opened People for the Ethical City with this book. In it he addresses the need to look beyond the negative, look at the suffering of other people, and give a light to those who feel marginalized. But what are we actually doing with addiction? He addresses all that with a clear vision of the problem. ₅An article in the The Atlantic titled “Racial & Identity Crisis” led to several discussions about his work around this issue. The article was well researched, and included a wealth of insightful comments. People for the Ethical City can be found everywhere on The Atlantic or on their website http://peoplefortheethicalcity.com. Others who spoke to USA TODAY said there were many different ways to look at this topic. The questions I asked included and raised included:How does an alcoholic get clean? How does a drug addict use clean water? How do the social workers on alcohol addiction respond to alcohol addiction? How is social work handled for addiction victims of alcohol? And how does alcoholism and mental illness intersect with other criminal, civil and legal issues?₆A look at some ideas the book explored. How does culture change? How does society change when people stop trying to follow a societal norm and start respecting each other? Which of the following should be seen as a new development for society to deal with with the coming of age? Who are the “revered” and why are they so often left out of