Cash Blackbear Series author Marcie Rendon on the art of writing
By Deborah Locke White Earth Ojibwe Reservation enrollee Marcie Rendon has written three books in the Cash Blackbear series and recently published “Sinister Graves,” (Soho Crime, Oct. 2022). She is currently working on her fourth book. The award-winning writer agreed to an interview on how she found her way to the writing profession, and how the […]
Rendon’s Cash Blackbear new novel contained one major disappointment
Review by Deborah Locke After reading Marcie Rendon’s newest novel, Sinister Graves, for a few hours of during which time stood still, I noticed that I only had about 50 pages left. That was disappointing. I did not want the book to end so soon. Rendon, a White Earth Nation enrollee, wrote the third book […]
The Marrow Thieves depicts a dystopian futuristic North America
Review by Deborah Locke The Marrow Thieves By Cherie Dimaline Publisher:DCB (imprint/Cormorant Books) September 2017 260 pages Reading age: 13 years and up Grade level: 8 – 12 One of the first matters to be clear about in “The Marrow Thieves” (by Cherie Dimaline, Metis) is an understanding of dystopia. The futuristic novel is set […]
Nesteroff superbly blends Native comedic voices with historical record
Review by Deborah Locke We Had a Little Real Estate Problem by Kliph Nesteroff (Simon & Schuster, 2021) examines the evolution of American Indian comedy, the many obstacles in its way, and its influence on popular culture. Nesteroff does this by weaving first person stories of contemporary comics (including a few from Minnesota) with the […]
Lightning Strike, a “must read”
Review by Deborah Locke The reading of “Lightning Strike” by Minnesota writer William Kent Krueger came about randomly. An acquaintance emailed that I just had to read the book, with a plot and characters set in northern Minnesota. He said this book was even better than Krueger’s highly acclaimed “This Tender Land.” Then he mailed […]
Erdrich’s “The Sentence” is a winner
Review by Deborah Locke She did it again. Louise Erdrich’s new book, “The Sentence,” layers so much to consider that after reading the last page, you’ll need quiet time alone to process the parts. A quick summary suggests little excitement. It’s about some people from Minneapolis who work in a bookstore, and all of them […]
Designed for youth, its information is useful for readers of any age
By Deborah Locke Some books you read straight through because it’s the only way. Some books read more like a restaurant menu where you pick some part here and there, absorb it, leave, and return for more. “Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid To Ask” by Anton Treuer is like a […]
A complex, masterful telling of how family ties can overcome trauma
Review by Deborah Locke For me, a summertime book means not thinking too much. It means reading for pleasure and amusement and for a few laughs. The books are short with bright covers and large type. Their age range appeals from the youngest reader to the oldest. Then along comes “The Removed” by Brandon Robson […]
Tromblay’s memoir recounts painful truths, encourages advocacy
Review by Deb Locke In his memoir “As You Were,” Duluth native David Tromblay wrote with an outcome in mind. It is: when you the reader see something, say something. Act. Never merely witness brutality without intervention. When brutality is used on a child, you have a special obligation to intercede. This raw, remarkable book […]
Powwow story for children will dance into your heart
Review by Deborah Locke The young Ojibwe girl, Josie, wants more than anything to dance for the first time at the summer powwow. This sweet picture book, “Josie Dances,” explains the way Josie’s aunty, grandmother and mother create her powwow outfit while Josie practices the shawl dance. Persistence and belief pay off. That summer day, […]
Jones’s book blends horror with the striking ordinariness of life
Review by Deborah Locke (Editor’s note: Spoilers ahead.) If you only read one horror/slasher novel in your life, make it “The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones (Blackfeet). If you’re not familiar with the horror genre, expect at the very least to wince as the story unfolds, or to abandon the book altogether to calm […]
Erdrich curates National Poem-a-Day series
By James P. Lenfestey The Academy of American Poets popular national “Poem -a-day” series selected poet Heid Erdrich as guest editor for the month of November. She joined other 2020 guest editors Joy Harjo (Muskogee, current US Poet Laureate), Major Jackson, Monaca Youn, and Dana Levin among others. Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe), is a poet, educator, and […]