Sherman Alexie Public Lecture Oct. 15 at UW

October 9, 2013
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Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie, a poet, writer and filmmaker, will give a public lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, in the University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences auditorium. He will sign books after his free public talk.

During his UW visit Oct. 15-17, Alexie will spend time with members of United National Indian Tribal Youth from the Wind River Indian Reservation, and will visit American Indian Studies classes on campus.

Much of Alexie’s writing draws on his experiences as a Native American growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He currently lives in Seattle, Wash.

His first novel, “Reservation Blues,” received one of the 15 1996 American Book Awards. His first young adult novel, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” is a semi-autobiographical novel that won the 2007 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the Odyssey Award as best 2008 audiobook for young people. His collection of short stories and poems, “War Dances,” won the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

His most recent book, “Blasphemy,” an anthology of new and old stories, was published in 2012. Alexie wrote and produced the acclaimed 1998 first all-Native American film “Smoke Signals,” which won the top prize at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. He is the only poet to have won the World Heavyweight Poetry Bout four consecutive years.

Alexie’s visit is part of UW American Indian Studies’ programming through the Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowment. Created in 2006 by the Wyoming State Legislature, the endowment brings distinguished scholars and educators to Wyoming. The legislation directed UW to strengthen instruction and research in disciplines related to economic and social challenges facing Wyoming.

For more information about Alexie’s visit, call the UW American Indian Studies office at (307) 766-6521.

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