The Rez Road follies

by Jim Northrup

"Jim Northrup's wry humor, gentle, candor, and eye for telling details have delighted readers of his newspaper column, of his award-winning fiction collection, and audiences attending his acclaimed one-man theater piece. Now, with a growing reputation as a storyteller, poet, and performer, Northrup has gathered his humor and heartfelt essays into his first nonfiction book, inviting readers to explore the world of contemporary American Indian life through the eyes of one wise, funny man. In simple, direct language, Northrup recalls key events of his own life: enduring a bleak government boarding school, facing enemy fire in Vietnam, confronting family tragedies, and becoming "almost an elder," a grandfather. Pith Q-&-A session offer droll commentary on his encounters with "the immigrant community," as he calls European-Americans: "Why do you call it a Rez instead of a reservation? Because the white man owns most of it." In leisurely anecdotes, he celebrates ancient rituals, such as harv