Books by Native American Authors

Because if you're not over Columbus Day already, you're so behind.

Actually, I am giving anyone reading this post permission to process whatever feeling or lack of feeling s/he/they has/have about Columbus Day. I happen to enjoy books by authors from other cultures and subcultures, and this week seems like as good a week as any to feature books by Native American authors.

I'm going to preface this post with the fact that this is my blog and I will post about books that I like. Taste is subjective. Also, if I mention a book, it's because I enjoy the book, and I think the author writes well. Said author may or may not have a reputation about being an asshole. I don't see it as my role to hand out karma points today. I'm just trying to help other people find good books, and plenty of authors who were terrible people in their personal lives have written some wonderful books. Writing is a difficult skill and some people just cultivated that and chose to ignore their people-skills, or maybe they subscribe to an ethical/moral framework the rest of us aren't privy to. Who knows? Anyway, if you see anything on here that you don't want to read, that's okay. I'm just presenting some ideas. (I say this because there's one person who will come up on this list that I know has caught some flack lately and my take is: credit where credit is due. I'm sorry if that upsets anyone.)

Louise Erdrich

Louise Erdrich writes amazing books and the woman is just insanely talented. I recommend her books to everyone as just an author they have to read whether I'm talking about minority authors or just books in general.

I had a roommate in college who claimed she only liked science fiction books. I showed her a Louise Erdrich short story in The New Yorker and nothing was the same after that. Of course, it meant that I rarely had access to my Louise Erdrich books anymore, but I know I helped someone else find happiness, and that's what really counts.

The book that typically takes people from, "Who is Louise Erdrich?" to "I love Louise Erdrich!" is Tracks. It's a complicated story, and it's part of a saga that continues throughout most of her books involving the same characters, but I'll leave it at: this just has everything you need---beautiful writing, sex, violence, madness, and ghosts. It's a short book, but the good news is she has several books featuring the same families and similar themes, so for a while, you will have more to feed your brain.

Leslie Marmon Silko

Ceremony is probably the book that comes to mind as the original "my English teachers put this on the summer reading list because it checked two boxes" book, and I hate to admit it, but I haven't gotten around to reading it as a result. That said, it has come to me highly recommended. I have a lot of books on my TBR list that I haven't reached yet. It's me. It's not the books. Definitely check this one out, and yes, even though it's old, as soon as I read it, I will post a review. I pinky swear.

Stephen Graham Jones

Not only is Stephan Graham Jones Native American, but he is also a Denver author. To make things even better, he's a Denver horror author. I have met him and he is extremely cool. So if someone being a good human is an important factor to you when you choose books, buy and read Stephen's books.

Sherman Alexie

I looked into the "scandal" surrounding Sherman Alexie a bit, and take this as you would like to, but I'm a female author and getting harassed is one of the things you learn to deal with. Is it okay? No. Should we encourage it? Absolutely not. Is the woman who is the primary witness against Alexie wrong or making things up? I highly doubt it.

Here's the thing though: plenty of authors are shit human beings (or were.) That doesn't mean they don't write good books. Here's another wrinkle: I have no idea (and you probably don't either) what kinds of male role models male authors have had in their lives. If they are like the general population, odds are, most of them would have been better off being guided by wolves.

Take a deep breath, boo/bae, and remember: it's just entertainment. Get that thong on the right way and let it go. The only thing that makes literature special is fewer people admit to having time for it. It's not that hoity toity.

Also, the Mostly True Diary of a Part Time Indian is one of the best books I have ever read. Or try the one below for a title everyone is going to ask you about:

Other books to check-out include the following: