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Fiction. Short Stories. HTML: The bestselling, award-winning author's "fiercely freewheeling collection of stories and poems about the tragicomedies of ordinary lives" (O, The Oprah Magazine). Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, War Dances blends short stories, poems, call-and-response, and more into something that only Sherman Alexie could have written. Ordinary men stand at the threshold of profound change, from a story about a famous writer caring for a dying but still willful father, to the tale of a young Indian boy who learns to value his own life by appreciating the deaths of others. Perceptions change, too, as "Another Proclamation" casts a shadow over Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and "Invisible Dog on a Leash" limns the heartbreak of shattered childhood illusions. And nostalgia for antiquated technology is tenderly rendered in "Ode to Mix Tapes" and "Ode for Pay Phones." With his versatile voice, Alexie explores love, betrayal, fatherhood, alcoholism, and art in this spirited, soulful, and endlessly entertaining collection, transcending genre boundaries to create something truly unique. This ebook features an illustrated biography including rare photos from the author's personal collection..… (more)
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Grade: B-
Recommended: Well, yes. Alexie's B material is better than a lot of stuff out there.
Very interesting. An absolutely distinct voice of a typical American intellectual totally immersed in contemporary big city life, not missing a beat, yet always conscious of his Spokane
There is a caveat to the rating: some of the stories left me cold, but I absolutely loved some others. Same with the poems. Some didn’t leave a lasting impression on me, but others stayed, and the rating is sort of a mean of this all.
Favourite poem: Theology of Reptiles.
Favourite stories: War Dances and Salt.
A nice mix of short stories and poetry by an insightful writer. I sometimes got confused about how much of his writings were his personal truths or if he was telling others' stories or just making up stories. It was all very honest. He understands the inner workings of
What stood out for me was his story about Elder Briggs, a young man killed in the midst of a burglary, and how one moment in time can change so many lives. It also was thought-provoking in how those affected by tragedy can look at the same situation in different ways in order to find a comfortable scapegoat on which to place the blame. It was an interesting study on human nature. None of us want to be the ones at fault.
Also, his poem about watching a man intentionally swerving his car to try to hit a stray dog, and how a witness to that terrible act has to make a decision about whether to do anything about it...or not...when their own personal safety may be in jeopardy.
There are snippets about life as a Native American (or really insert any minority) which are telling when describing them having to tolerate ignorance, such as an interview with an old-timer recalling a brave act by an American Indian soldier in WWII who saved others' lives at the risk of his own, and even in the honored way the old soldier spoke of his former buddy's courage, he still made light of the fact that they called him "Chief". Another story recalls a little boy raging against a blatant deception, and then being referred to as "Little Crazy Horse".
This is veering off track here, but I need to try to relieve some personal guilt or vent a bit. I was a kid in the 70s in a very small town where the predominant tribal people are Lakota Sioux, and remarks like this were used, although most people around me were oblivious to how hurtful these digs could be, and probably would have felt terrible if they were made aware. It was the general insensitivity of the times, especially in an area that had no diversity to speak of. It's easy to make fun of a general anonymous group of people when you'll never have to look them in the eye. Back then, we told "Polack" jokes or "Ole & Lena" jokes (Scandinavian version) with the same blase' attitude and umbrella stereotyping as today's blonde jokes. We had common terms for things that had lost their original (derogatory) meaning for my generation. We as kids honestly didn't know better; anything we would have said would have been repeated from what we heard adults say, kind of like in today's world you can ask any 6- or 7-year-old kid who they would vote for in the presidential election and they will have very strong opinions which will immediately let you know whether their parents are conservative or liberal. As a whole we now know about the need for tolerance/kindness/fairness. We now know. Let's move in the right direction and make sure we are teaching our children to be better than we have been.
The stories and poems included in War Dances are pretty easy reading and are amusing, especially the poems
Some of the stories or poems may convince you to look at the world differently than you do (the aim of most art), Looking Glass is a poem about Chief Joseph of the Nez Pearce who’s famous quote, “I will fight no more forever” which through the looking glass of history is taught as a victory over the Indians; but Looking Glass puts it into the Indian and perhaps correct connotation. The story, The Ballad of Paul Nonetheless, is a look at a marriage and infidelity and Alexie stays away from the usual clichés of this type of story, looking at it from all angles and advances some ideas that aren’t usually voiced. That is the beauty of stories included in War Dances, is Alexie’s ability to look at all sides of the situations the characters find themselves in and still deliver a pithy and entertaining story.
Sherman Alexie is a master of the short story and War Dances, while not the strongest of Alexie’s work is still a strong addition to the body of work he’s building in his career.
The title story tells of an American Indian dealing with the impending death of his alcoholic, diabetic father (a “natural Indian death”). Other narrators include a film editor who reacts violently to an intruder in his home, a news intern who must write the obituary of the obituary editor, and a music fan who thinks a burned compilation CD just ain’t got the same soul as a mix tape made the old way. While the content may not be shocking, the authenticity is. I get the feeling that these characters all have the same burning questions that I have. Alexie puts those questions (even the scary ones) into words, gives them breathing room, and doesn’t pretend that he has all the answers. As a whole, the book is a slap in the face, or a relief, or both. Also, it’s hilarious.
I’ve read four other books by this author, and this much I can tell you: while reading Sherman Alexie, I’m never bored and I’m never certain. I often feel like I’m trailing a maniacal driver who does 90 and zigzags frequently. It’s a wild ride, so I’m not promising that you’ll finish War Dances in the same condition you were in when you started … but getting roughed up by a read can be a good time. If you’ve resolved to do something daring in the New Year, check out this book.
Review written by Laura Richardson, 11/9/2009
War Dances is a collection of short stories and poems. Most of them involve Native American characters. Alexie is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian. He wrote
"I knew this song would not bring back my father's feet . This song would not repair my father's bladder, kidneys , lungs , and heart. This song would not prevent my father from drinking a bottle of vodka as soon as he could sit up in bed. This song would not defeat death."
As for the smiling nurse,
"Sometimes , even after all of these years , she could still be surprised by her work. She still marveled at the infinite and ridiculous faith of other people."
And the young man ponders whether dying slowly from alcohol and disabetes should be called an "a natural Indian death".
Sherman Alexie is a fearless writer, mocking, rebellious, yet completely entertaining.
I believe this book deserves its honor of the National Book Award because Alexie has mastered the art of capturing a deeply true and tragically beautiful thought’s essence and crafting it into the fabric of a honest, fallible, and heartbreakingly real character’s life experience. His dialogue is piercing, moving, and challenging, and his pacing in his prose development mirrors the careful construction of his poetry, which I have always found sublime. I would recommend this book because it is highly enjoyable and freeing in spite of (or even because of) its heavy content. His wrenching vignettes, interwoven with his powerful poetry, sing of expert, intentional wordsmithing, that both refreshes with its sparseness and originality and soothes with rhythm and truth.
Rebecca H.
I confess it took a bit for me to get into this collection. I prefer Alexie's poetry and longer stories, often finding his short stories a little dry. (Of course, I admit also to a long held prejudice against short stories themselves as a format.) Where Alexie won me over was with the story "War Dances," which somehow manages to be everything I associate with Alexie, and then again with "Fearful Symmetry," which is about so many things, but the part I especially loved was about the crazy Hollywood machine and how it treats screenwriters.
The very first story in the collection, "Breaking and Entering," didn't connect at first, but as time went on, I think I've thought about this story more than any other. About a man who accidentally kills a youth who he fins breaking into his home, it is just so relevant to everything that I think of it often.
Sherman Alexie’s award winning, War Dances, is a book of short stories, poems, and question and answer sections, which surprisingly work quite well together. This book includes 23 pieces of literature which cover a wide array of topics, ranging from
When talking about Native Americans and their traditions in this book’s title story, War Dances, Alexie holds nothing back. “You should see my dad right now. He’s pretending to go into this, like, fucking trance and is dancing around my sister’s bed.” He offers valuable, yet often grotesque insight into the life of a modern Native American.
Alexie seamlessly blends together a serious yet comedic tone as he describes various tragedies and unfortunate coincidences. Part auto-biography, this book goes to great length to reveal much about what could very well be Sherman Alexie’s life. In his short story, Orphans, Sherman Alexie writes through the eyes of a family man diagnosed with a tumor. “I was worried that I had a brain tumor. Or that my hydrocephalus had returned. I was scared that I was going to die and orphan my sons.” While Alexie is quick to touch on dark themes such as that mentioned in Orphans, he often balances these stories with sarcasm and humor.
The somewhat quirky and questionable format of Sherman Alexie’s stories attests to his unconventional writing style, and leaves readers desiring more from this Native-American man. His short stories can be as short as a page or as long as seven, however, all have value and serve a purpose. As the book weaves through various stories, it reveals multiple underlying themes including, holding oneself accountable for one’s actions, and how success can cause corruption. Overall, this 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award winner adds to Alexie’s collection of worthwhile reads, which includes various other award winning and nominated books.
--Michael Lurigio