EvCC Reads

By reading one book in common, Everett Community College students, faculty and staff engage in a year long, cross-disciplinary collaboration that encourages imaginative and critical thought.

The Library Media Center offers this reader's guide in support of the EvCC Reads program, providing information resources about the book.

For 2009/2010: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, with art by Ellen Forney SYNOPSIS: Determined to take his future into his own hands, budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian reservation to attend an all-white farm town school, where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, this young adult novel is based on the author's own experiences (adapted from the publisher). Campus Events Library Resources Web Resources

Campus Events

"Resiliency" Panel Discussion

• 10/26/2009, Noon - 1:30pm Parks MPR

Check Back Soon

• More events will be added for Fall Quarter!

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LIBRARY RESOURCES

Library Media Center

• Use the Library Catalog to check availability of library copies.
• For other works by and about Sherman Alexie, use the Library Catalog to locate books, films and sound recordings. Use these subject terms to find related information in the Library Catalog:
  • Alexie, Sherman
  • American literature – Indian authors
  • Indians in literature
  • Indians of North America – Ethnic identity
• For biographical information, use Contemporary Authors and MagillOnLiterature Plus on the Literature Databases page.
• For articles and scholarly book reviews, use Academic Search Elite, JSTOR and ProQuest on the Literature Databases page.
• For more information on the history of Native Americans, use Oxford Reference Online on the General Databases page.

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Web Resources

Background Information

• Oficial Sherman Alexie site.
• About the Spokane Tribe of Indians, with information about the Spokane Indian Reservation.
• Seattle Times: "Seattle's Alexie wins the National Book Award". Nov. 15, 2007

Book Reviews

• "Misfit – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian…" Los Angeles Time book review
• "Off the Rez" by Bruce Barcott. New York Times
• "In search of hope: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Kevin Hurt. Ed-u-ma-ca-tion:reflections on teaching, learning and technology.

Interviews

• "Sherman Alexie…strikes out at the 'eagle-feathers school of Native literature'." The Atlantic Online, interview, 6/1/2000.
• Sherman Alexie: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Interview conducted by Rita Williams-Garcia. National Book Foundation.
• "Revising Sherman Alexie", Author Interview with Dave Weich, Powell's Books.
• "Without reservations", Novelist Sherman Alexie talks about his new movie, 'Smoke Signals,' and how it feels to be the 'Native American Spike Lee.'
• Sending Cinematic Smoke Signals: An Interview with Sherman Alexie. Cineaste v23. N4 (Fall 1998): 28 (5 pages).

Other Writings by Sherman Alexie

• Sherman Alexie, Modern American Poetry. Includes reviews, commentary by Alexie, excerpts
• Poems by Sherman Alexie, The Raven Chronicles, March 1997
• Essays on a variety of topics by Sherman Alexie.

Examples of Assignments

• Ideas for assignments. Includes a summary and links to other resources.
• Freshman [high school] Honors Summer Reading Assignment. Questions for a writing assignment could be used as discussion questions.

Video Clips

• Sherman Alexie Speaks. 9:57 min. You Tube. Serman Alexie reads an excerpt from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and takes a few questions. Filmed at a Young Adult Novelist panel at the Texas State Capitol on November 3rd, 2007. Hilarity ensues.

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