I just finished this book. Have you heard of this writer? He’s a Native American wunderkind — he tells jokes, makes movies, and tells an excellent story. All like MFA students dig him. You know, it’s not quite as bad as MFA student love for James Baldwin, whom they would describe as “his writing is like jazz.” This was like the ultimate compliment in grad school. And I was like what the hell does that mean that this is like jazz? Does it mean that it’s random and you can’t dance to it? But Sherman Alexie, I always liked. His stories feel wild — like they’re not planned which what way they’re going, and this YA book reads the same — it’s an acne-saddled Native American homeless foster kid who jumps bodies and time travels, and…it’s like jazz. No, I mean, it’s good and I recommend it. It made me cry (I mean, “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost” make me cry so maybe that’s not a reliable barometer of quality.)
My pal Jos has met him b/c she’s involved with the Native American scene, and by all accounts, he’s like totally obnoxious. He also memorizes all his reading b/c he’s said that writers rarely read their work with the same passion that they write with. He also will come out and make fun of a predominantly white audience for being white, so there you go. Read it and tell me what you think.
Like jazz? It means the writer is black, & the white reviewer can’t come up with a descriptor that isn’t a cliche that points out the writer’s “otherness” besides!
nice. you know, now that you say that, every person who said it was “like jazz” was white and would say it about james baldwin. ask alex j to confirm
I believe it! They’re always doing that sh$#. Oh, sorry about the cursing, but I’ve just been reading about your excursion to P.S. 1….