A gritty, yet humor and pathos-filled portrait of a young Native
American struggling with the two constants in his life--alcohol and art.
"Every sentence is unexpected, yet infallible." --Ursula K. LeGuin
Eddie Chuculate's prize-winning collection of linked short stories
follows Jordan Coolwater from bored young boy, to thoughtful teenager,
struggling artist, escaped convict, and finally, father. Readers will
find an unsentimental portrait of America, of its dispossessed, its
outlaws, and its visionaries.
The first story in this debut collection, "Galveston Bay, 1826," won an
O. Henry Prize, and the second, "Yo Yo," received a Pushcart Prize
Special Mention. Admirers of the short stories of Jim Harrison and Annie
Proulx will appreciate Chuculate's steady, confident prose rooted in
American realism.
"Eddie Chuculate emerges as an important new talent in his generation
of storytellers. He's a kind of journalist of the soul as he
investigates the broken-hearted nation of Indian men. The epicenter of
action is the tenuous meeting place between boyhood and manhood, between
fierce need and desire. Chuculate relates a world that is exactly what
it is, with no romantic savage junk, and no temporary spiritual life
preservers. In the midst of despair there's a shrine of meaning that
surfaces, like the miracle of sunrise after an all-night party."--Joy
Harjo, United States Poet Laureate
