Every now and then I find a book or a movie, ostensibly about a culture not my own, that does more than educate me; it reaches into my heart and shows me what we share instead of where we differ. This movie was one of those experiences. Anyone who has had a difficult relationship with their father will relate to this story. Beautifully acted, and some very funny moments too.

What can I say about an author that evokes so many emotions in one time. This movie ranks in my top 5 of all time, right beside Stand By Me, Dances with Wolves, and Schindler's List. This is classic Alexie at his best: thought provoking and haunting at times, yet also witty and even hysterical (especially the song about John Wayne's teeth-I had to stop the movie for about 5 minutes I couldn't stop laughing!). He captures both good and dark perspectives in his own unique brand of writing. He is a highly talented author and a truly unique human being.

To me this book had an effect it showed a normal life style of an a native american instead of a regular drunk indian. This book does not hide anything it gives all expressive and shows lots of details of how the real world is.Not only is this book a reference for my class, but also a look back in my history. Victor has a mirror reflection in my life because of the way he was raised. With all the alcohol and verbal abuse it probably reflects on most peoples life, if not it will most definetly make a change in the future. Alexi is a very good writer and i hope to meet him, and i wish he can come out with another book like that.

With a voice that begs contemplation and makes you want to find the everyday magic in your own life, Alexie gives us a heart-filled and heart-breaking collection of tale-like poems about Amerindian life in the 20th century and beyond.
Stunning.

Sorry if that sounded gushy, but throughout the pathos and humor, I coulldn't help but marvel at this man's spirit-- and his literary skills. I've seen his interviews and featured bios on television and reading his work brings it all to life. I wish I had his ability to draw verbal pictures. Thank you for being you!

A very sad collection of pieces by Alexie, covering all manner of topics of res life. More impressive, however, is his use of style and technique in these works. Sometimes in traditional poem format, sometimes in prose writing, flirting with fiction storytelling. Around every page is a new experience. This is a great collection.

This is the best writing I've seen from Sherman Alexie since The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven. I thought Indian Killer was a bit of a disappointment, really... the politics were too blatant and heavy-handed, and the story lacked the subtlety and delicate touch of his shorter work. But he's in top form again here.

I was lucky enough to see him read the last story in person. It was an unforgettable experience. As a friend who was there with me said, "He makes you burst out laughing one moment, then breaks your heart the next."

Last year, while exalting Larry McMurtry as the most popular writer of the American West, the Los Angeles Times relegated Sherman Alexie -- without specifically naming him -- to a group of praiseworthy Western writers who lack mass appeal largely because they explore only microcosmic corners of this vast region.

True, no contemporary author has succeeded in popular Western fiction like McMurtry, the old stud horse in the sparse herd of the region's literary writers. But Alexie is the mustang: Wild, irreverent, defiant, bold, unpredictable, sleek, distant, erotic, swift and hard to corral -- everything McMurtry never was, even in his prime.

Not that Alexie cares. He's a provocateur who never left a pot unstirred. He's a trickster not above mocking himself. He's a proud Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian who is just as likely to skewer Indians as totem-loving liberals and Yale-educated conservatives (yeah, him.) And he's a best-selling author who knows exactly how far to push the sensibilities of his gentler readers.

And his latest collection of short stories, 'Ten Little Indians,' once again shows him to be not just one of the West's best, but one of the most brilliantly literate American writers, even funnier than Louise Erdrich, even more primal than Jim Harrison, and even more eloquent than Annie Proulx.

Since his 1993 debut, 'The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,' Alexie has had few, if any, sacred cows. Including Indians. As with his last collection, 'The Toughest Indian in the World,' the reader is submersed in yarns that are sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking, where Indians find themselves between worlds, between lives, and between loves.

'Ten Little Indians' comprises nine easy pieces in the puzzle of Sherman Alexie, who ranks with the best, even if he stands alone.

This book's as good as anything Sherman's written, which is high praise. The stories are funny, wise, profane, taking you deep into the worlds of his characters, turning your expectations upside down. It's about sex, basketball, Sept 11, memory and hope, the ties of the families we're born to and the families we find. It's about what it means to be a Spokane Indian, what it means for any of us to try and stay human against all the madness around us. I'll be rereading this book and thinking about it for a long long time.
Paul Loeb
Author Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time

Since it's a comic people probably don't pay as much attention to it as they should, but those people would be wrong. What Lutes has created here is a neat little tale that is both poignant and beautiful, tragic and uplifting, all at the same time. The story of a failed magician, doubly haunted by both the death of his brother and the failure of his last relationship, watching his mentor slip into senility, Lutes weaves the themes of magic and loss into the stories of his characters. None of the characters, from the con-man trying to raise his daughter, to the ex-girlfriend trapped in a dull existance, seem to be where they want to be, but that seems to be as much their own fault as the fault of life itself. Lutes evokes a sense of sympathy for his characters, even when they fail to see what their actions do to themselves and the thrill of the story is seeing whether they'll realize it in time. Lutes uses the comic format to its fullest, creating a fine synthesis of words and pictures, letting the art speak for the story when necessary (the silent moments are perhaps the story's finest pages) without forcing it to labor under weighted prose. In the end he creates a tale as richly detailed as any prose story, made that much better by the comic (I'm sorry "graphic novel") format, a medium he does his part to prove it can be so much better than it is. Get this and maybe more comics like this possible.

Indeed, tragic in its scope. Varying degrees of human suffering are revealed by Lutes' sketches. Illumination is found in identification with the characters' woes. For me, the scene in which the stage magician stares out through a rain spattered window looking out on an apartment-cluttered alley set off a surprising emotional trigger. What misery pervades the lives of each character, the reader is able to mirror to some measure in their own lives.

An admirable work- not as depressing as 'Jimmy Corrigan' by any stretch, but still a charming, well-written, aptly-illustrated tale. I look forward to future volumes of his Berlin work.

Jar of Fools is an amazing story that stands as one the best graphic novels ever written. Jason Lutes is an author to be watched.

Probably my favorite Alexie poetry book. This book also contains short stories, the meager beginnings of "The Lone Ranger and Tonto..." novel he was soon to write. Prepare to transport yourself into Alexie's world and share pain, joy and frustration, but prepare to walk away wounded, battled and bruised as you find yourself falling deeper and deeper into an introspective study of self.

The Business of Fancydancing is a collection that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up while you laugh, cry and stare at the written page with stunned amazement. Alexie uses language as a paintbrush, creating a complex mosaic of life growing up Indian and walking through a world that is not quite yours. The author slashes at stereotypes of what it is to be an American Indian. All too real tragedy and pain is laced with black humor, revealing a poet/essayist who I sincerely hope rises to be a Steinbeck of his generation.

Those who consider themselves New Age may not care to venture into this work unless thick-skinned and self-aware.

Then again, maybe the children of the New Age SHOULD read this remarkable window on the world of Sherman Alexie. Enjoy.

This Directory is a great resource for any serious creative writer - certainly it's a great addition to this poet's reference shelf. It presents listings for LITERARY publications, weeding out commercial places that prefer rhyming jingles to sestinas so my time isn't wasted pawing through pages of inappropriate nonsense. Good information including how each publication is distributed and when the reading periods are is very helpful. I also find the various indices useful for finding information quickly. The online journals also listed in the Directory are another great resource... highly recommended!

"One Stick Song" is a superb blend of poetry and prose by Sherman Alexie. The back cover notes that the author is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, and indeed the main topic of this book is American Indian life and literature. Although Whitman is invoked in one of the pieces ("The American Artificial Limb Company"), I found Alexie's voice in this piece to remind me more of Kurt Vonnegut and George Carlin. The book is a mixture of outrage, wacky humor, and tenderness, with some really cutting satiric elements.

Some of my favorite pieces are as follows. "The Unauthorized Autobiography of Me" is an excellent, irony-rich extended prose poem which looks at, among other things, the business and politics of Native American literary production. This piece contains the memorable line, "Poetry = Anger x Imagination." "Open Books" is a satiric poem about poets and poetry itself. In this poem Alexie writes, "Let us now celebrate the lies / that should be true because they tell us so much." "The Mice War" is an unsettling, violent poem that takes place on a reservation landfill. This is just a small sampling of the treasures in "One Stick Song," a book which moves Alexie onto my list of favorite United States poets.

From the very first chapter this collection of poems blew me away. Sherman Alexie provides a raw and gritty insight into the contemporary American Indian ideology. His poems jump to life inside your imagination and seem to not want to die. Alexie helps people of all different backgrounds come to a better understanding of how things are in the real American world of misconceptions about American Indians and their beliefs and customs. He also challenges the way some people may view their own cultural lineage. At times his poems are very jovial and lighthearted, and at other times they are stark and quite sad. This is one of the best books i have ever read. I recomend this book to anyone who wants to see a different side to the way old ideas are challenged in new ways.

One Stick Song is Sherman Alexie's most personal work yet. In these poems and stories, he reveals a side of himself that he has never truly exposed before... possibly even to himself. It is obvious that Sherman is finding the deepest parts of his soul in recent years, probably helped along by the birth of his as revealed by the final poem in the book "Sugar Town."

I have read all of Alexie's works to date, and mostly in the order they were written and I have enjoyed reading the growth of this truly great writer.

This book seems simpler than Alexie's later works, though by no means do I mean that in a literal way. Later works reveal a deep and complex style and voice. This book, an early piece, shows what is to come. Alexie's voice is strong and powerful, with very pointed pieces arranged in creative and innovative ways. This is a stepping-stone book into his heavier works, such as Summer of Black Widows and One Stick Song. You can definitly see where Alexie is going in this book...up.

For a long time I heard little bits and pieces about a poet named Sherman Alexie. I would see his name appear here and there, or a few words speak of him, and then I would lose track. After Smoke Signals came out, I vowed that I would remember Sherman Alexie and read more of what he had to say.

Years passed, to my shame. As a writer I was probably afraid on some level to begin reading his work because I had heard of his amazing success at a young age, but more important, his amazing output.

I finally decided to get a book, and I chose to buy Old Shirts & New Skins. I absolutely love it. The poems and the stories wonderfully compliment each other and tell a story of identity and pride. I really enjoyed the biting humor. it rang so completely true, I sometimes could not contain myself.

Based upon what I have read in this book, I will definately keep reading and buying his books.

This book of poetry has a real quality, a sort of grittiness so you know it's true.

The poems tie together present miseries with the history of Indian wars. But of course it's not the version of Indian wars we got through the movies; rather it is the untold part, of suffering of native people defending their way of life.

I am new to Sherman Alexie and new to American Indian literature; I came upon him through his movie "Smoke Signals." It's very good reading!

His writing contains heavy themes, but is light and graceful and has a healing quality. "Shirts" and "Skins" are the team names in pickup baasketball games; "'skins" is how Indians call themselves. I dont know what a "shirt" is - a white guy, probably -- that would fit. There is humor, word play and joy here holding up a world of sadness.

As one of the poets featured in Will Work for Peace, one might expect me to be a bit biased, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Most poets work in a virtual vacuum, only tenuously connected to each other by the occasional workshop or shared membership in a 'poetry society'. When Brett Axel first approached me for a submission to an anthology he was considering, the names Marge Piercy, Lyn Lifshin, Moshe Bennaroch and so many others were abstractions to me as a fledgling poet. I knew these tremendous writers were 'out there' somewhere, beating down doors with their words and keeping a struggling artform alive. But to think that someday I would ever share a credit with these dynamic modern poets would be a pipe dream at best. It is through the sincere efforts of Brett Axel that many newer voices like mine have an extraordinary opportunity to appear with Pulitzer Prize winners and other poetic heavyweights. By way of an honest review, however, I will say this- not everything in this book will be to your particular liking. I myself came across some works that did not move me in the way the author may have intended. Some imagery can be raw and visceral, using shock value in place of craft at times. But to ignore those voices would be an even more shocking turn of events, so praise be to the editor for not sacrificing his vision to a senseless conformity. As Pete Seeger so aptly put it in his quote, trying to read all these poems at one time would be like trying 'to swallow Manhattan whole'. I say to you- buy this book, read this book, but understand that it's what you do after reading this book that will ultimately define who you could be. Poetry is alive and well, and lives in the blunt pages of Will Work for Peace.

Brett Axel visited my Church and I bought a copy of Will Work For Peace from him, not for poetry, but because I care about working for peace. I started reading through it thinking It'd just go on my shelf and that'd be the end of it, but the book grabbed me and kept me rivited. If I had known that poetry was this alive I'd have been into poetry. I've been reading some of the poems to my friends who also didn't think poetry was important and they are saying the same thing. Fantastic! There's no way to get through this book without having your old mindsets challenged. It's funny, powerful, sad, and uplifting. A book that deserves to be read by everyone. A book that really can make the world a better place!

Just amazing start to finish! I like the disregard for fame used in putting the book together. That great poems got in even if they were writtenby nobodys. Look at Roger Bonair-Agard's poem on page 74. Shortly after Will Work For Peace came out he won Slam Nationals, becoming Slam Champion of 1999, which will be getting him lots of offers. But Zeropanik Press didn't need to be told he was good by an award. They could tell by his writing! Good for them and good for all of us because Will Work For Peace is a literary milestone. It's a new standard for all future anthology editors to try to live up to. Thumbs up to Brett Axel and Thumbs up to Zeropanik Press for their guts and integrty.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is for the true American Indian. This book is several short stories that have both fantasy and real life events. These memories are sometimes dark but many times good. Through out this book Victor tells of his memories with his family and friends. Until the day of a horrific accident! In his family that will change his life forever. This book has many everyday problems and life problems of people that you can relate your-self to if not now, maybe In the future. This book has many modern traditions of both today and the past Indian cultures. The movie Smoke signals is based on this book I didn't think it was near as good as the book even know the movie got many awards. I felt that the movie was very boring.This book is a vivd account of the life on an Indian reservation in modern day. Instead of focusing on one character, Alexie shared stories of several different people which gives a more complete description. There is Victor, who is brought up around alcoholism, Thomas Builds-the-Fire, who is constantly telling stories, and Jimmy Many Horses, who jokes about his cancer.

Sherman Alexie's "Lone Ranger" is a vivd accound of the life on an Indian reservation in modern day. Instead of focusing on one character, Alexie shared stories of several different people which gives a more complete description. There is Victor, who is brought up around alcoholism, Thomas Builds-the-Fire, who is constantly telling stories, and Jimmy Many Horses, who jokes about his cancer. The characters are very unforgettable as their experiences are told in a most entertaining way. Since each chapter is a different story it is hard to tell which character is being described. It goes from VIctor in one chapter to Jimmy Many Horses in the next. That can definitely be confusing. But what it shows best is life through the eyes of true Spokane Indians and their struggle with depression, alcoholism, and seclusion. Alexie shows the contrasts between modern Indians and the Indians of the past and how the traditions were lost. It gives views of whites through Indian eyes and how they have dealt with inferiority. Though it has many strengths, it also has weaknessess. Other than the confusion between characters, there is also a confusion on time. In one chapter it's 1976 and in the next it's 1992 and sometimes it isn't explained very well. But Alexie definitey gets his point across in showing the world the hard times faced by Indians growing up in modren day USA. It's a very entertainig book that is easy to read and very seldom put down. I definitely believe it could be the Bible for modern day Native Americans in this country.

I initially picked this book up for two reasons--I liked Alexie's novel, Indian Killer, and more importantly because I live in Spokane, WA and have traveled extensively through the Reservations and towns that are described in the stories. The descriptions and the characters are very realistic, the names and places are not very fictionalized, and it makes me feel right at home. Fortunately for those readers not privleged to live in the Inland Northwest, the stories also teach a lot about Indian culture, the modern Native American and their heritage. It is a disturbing picture at times with too much alcaholism, violence, and racism, but underneath it all there is a great deal of love which makes the stories comforting and redeeming. Alexie has a lyrical voice, and when combined with his authenticsity, beautiful, rich stories are produced. Aside from those academic traits, he is also very funny, honest, and affectionate throughout, and those qualities are what I will remember about this book far more than the descriptions of familiar hotels on Third Avenue and the basketball games played between Springdale and Wellpinit. It is a great, quick read, and a wonderful way to pass an afternoon.