The following have been selected as finalists for the 22nd annual (2011) Oklahoma Book Awards competition. Winners will be announced April 9 at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame/Jim Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City. Book must have an Oklahoma-based theme or authors must have lived or live in Oklahoma:
FICTION
Cheyenne Madonna by Eddie Chuculate (David R. Godine, Publisher/Black Sparrow Books)
Stations West by Allison Amend (Louisiana State University Press)
With No Steps to Follow by David Allen Barton (Tate Publishing and Enterprises)
God’s Acres by David Gerard (PenUltimate Press)
The Insane Train by Sheldon Russell (Minotaur Books)
Chasing Lilacs by Carla Stewart (Faith Words)
POETRY
Umberto Eco Lost His Gun by Carol Hamilton (Pudding House Publications)
Spare Parts by Ken Hada (Mongrel Empire Press)
Elegy for Trains by Benjamin Myers (Village Books Press)
Seeing Rightly with the Heart by Howard Stein (Finishing Line Press)
Bird Days by Sheila Tiarks (Village Books Press)
Oklahoma Baroque by Renata Treitel (Out On A Limb Publishing)
Oklahoma Cantos by Ron Wallace (TJMF Publishing)
CHILDREN/YOUNG ADULT
Portrait of a Generation: The Children of Oklahoma, Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth by M.J. Alexander (Southwestern Publishing)
“Cholhkanat Lowak Ishminti” Spider Brings Fire by Linda Hogan (Chickasaw Nation Press)
Salvaged by Stefne Miller (Tate Publishing and Enterprises)
Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer (Simon and Schuster)
Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light by Tim Tingle (Cinco Puntos Press)
DESIGN/ILLUSTRATION
Building One Fire, designed by Carol Haralson (Cherokee Nation)
Proud to be Chickasaw, designed by Skip McKinstry; illustrated by Mike Larsen (Chickasaw Nation Press)
Oklahoma National Stockyards, designed by Doug Miller (Mullerhaus Publishing Arts, Inc.)
Portrait of a Generation: The Children of Oklahoma, Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth, designed by Scott O’Daniel (Southwestern Publishing)
Arena Legacy: The Heritage of American Rodeo, designed by Tony Roberts and Julie Rushing; collection photography by Ed Muno (University of Oklahoma Press)
NONFICTION
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe by Kate Buford (Alfred A. Knopf)
Chickasaw Removal by Fuller L. Bumpers, Daniel F. Littlefield Jr., and Amanda L. Paige (Chickasaw Nation Press)
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, edited by Bob L. Blackburn and Dianne Everett (Oklahoma Historical Society)
Deadly Kingdom: The Book of Dangerous Animals by Gordon Grice (Random House)
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne (Scribner)
Race and the University: A Memoir by George Henderson (University of Oklahoma Press)
Arena Legacy: The Heritage of American Rodeo by Richard C. Rattenbury (University of Oklahoma Press)
Luis Ortega’s Rawhide Artistry: Braiding in the California Tradition by Don Reeves and Chuck Stormes (University of Oklahoma Press)
Oilfield Trash: Life and Labor in the Oil Patch by Bobby D. Weaver (Texas A&M University Press)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Take it to the House--A Sports Poem
Take it to the house
one day at a time
one game at a time
you play like you practice
and it takes practice, practice, practice
(This is practice, man, practice)
after which we'll
get on our horse
get on the stick
get with it
get into it
then take it to the house
We wanna give the fans their money's worth
We keep our heads in the game
not in the stands
it's time to stop talkin and start chalkin
put up or shut up
walk the walk
we carry our heads high
because even if we lose we've got nothing to be ashamed of
winners never quit
and quitters never win
so let's get focused
let's get jacked
cause sometimes you gotta play on emotion
play to win
play like there's no tomorrow - cause there ain't
but if we don't improve the only way we'll make it to the Big Game is if we buy tickets
and I'd rather not be fishing, hunting, or golfing - you've got all winter to do that
Hey, Ace, your mom had a better move with a man on
we're sending you down to the minors to learn a new pitch: it's called a strike
cause we need people who throw strikes
who throw gas
who kick and deal
who throw smoke
who rock and fire
who throw heat
we need someone who can put a little mustard on it
a little juice
someone who can twirl a masterpiece
a gem
give a sterling effort
post gooseggs
sit you down
brush you back
put you in the books
keep you honest
someone who has the backbone to throw chin music
stay ahead
work the count to his favor
win by the hairs on his chinny chin chin
someone who guts it out
plays with pain
and doesn't tell me, 'It's just a game'
The skipper, the captain says he's never been more proud of a bunch of guys
they'll go to war with you
put in a full day's work
they're real pros
they're all professionals
they're all class acts
player's players
coach's players
leaders on and off the field, court, ice
warriors
He is baseball
He is basketball
He is football
He's got great vision
He's a coach on the field
(he's my quarterback, man, my quarterback)
he's got great skills
he's a field general
but not the General
not Bobby Knight
who knows the game inside and out
never lets the game pass him by
who's a player's coach
a coach's coach
Say, 'What's up, Knight?'
And he's ready to fight
Some Indiana college kid
But not the Say Hey Kid
So Say it ain't so,
Shoeless Joe
Win some lose some
is a loser's credo
Winning ain't everything
It's the only thing
Take care of the little things
Ask Bill Russell, he won 11 rings
You have to be prepared when you come to play Bobby's teams
'cause no one outworks him
he will not be outworked
his men run through walls for him
leave nothing on the court
play til the final buzzer
get in your face
get in your shorts
but we have respect for the enemy
especially when we go to their house
The Big House
The House of Pain
The House That Ruth Built
We'll keep our eyes peeled
our heads on a swivel
cause if you don't you'll get killed
get creamed
get crushed
and
worst of all
get knocked into next week
next month
the middle of next year
Any team can win on any given Sunday
and we think we have a chance any time we step on the field
step across the lines
step into the squared circle
We didn't come here to lose
we're not just showing up
we won't lay an egg
It's time to strap it on
get it on
turn up the heat
pump up the volume
raise the roof
get crazy
get stoked
because this is what it's all about
this is why we play the game
this is for all the marbles
and if you can't get up for this one you don't belong here
you should hang it up
check it in
take it to the house
look for a new line of work
cause this ain't for the weak at heart
you gotta have heart
you gotta believe
you gotta love it
cause it all comes down to this
down to the wire, the last shot, the last second, the last pitch
even though you can turn a game around with one swing
take control
jump on them early
stay ahead
never look back
take what they give us
take it and run with it
He's our bell cow
our heart and soul
He's gonna put us on his shoulders and take us to the title
the crown
the whole shooting match
all the marbles.
He's a stud
an animal
a workhorse
a stallion
($15 million? I got kids to feed, man)
we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat
we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory
three yards and a cloud of dust
We're gonna turn this thing around
right the ship
go worst to first
cause we're no cellar dwellers
it'll be 3 up 3 down
cause we're in the zone
on fire
we've got pennant fever and it's a long way to October
Wilt the Stilt or the Big Dipper?
Like Rockne said
Win one for the Gipper
It's the Showdown in Motown
the Rumble in the Jungle
the Battle in Seattle
the War on the Shore
We're going to light up the
Homer Dome
Astro Dome
Super Dome
because
There's No Place Like Dome
He's cat quick but tenacious as a bulldog
eyes like a hawk
He floats like a butterfly
and stings like a bee
Sugar Ray Leonard
avenged a big loss
Hands of Stone Duran
said no mas, no mas
Play with fire you get rope burns
the loser never learns
Another Motor City Madman:
Thomas Hitman Hearns
Never say die
never say never
Slapped with a 'T'
slapped silly
slap happy
slapped it into left field
slapped upside your head
said oops upside your head
and down the stretch they come
leading after the first turn
second turn
third turn
let that mother burn
he's a speed demon
a burner
a flyer
Hail Mary
rally caps
avenge the loss
seek revenge
atone for our mistakes
promising young rookie who shows flashes of brilliance
on a tear
road swing
we dug ourselves a hole but we climbed out of it
we shot ourselves in the foot
cause we lined up in the pistol
capitalize on their mistakes
we were giving it away
making them look like World Beaters
until we started making them earn it
dagnabbit! dagburnnit!
drilled in the fundamentals
delivers in the clutch
so Start Me Up
and We Will We Will Rock You
cause We Are The Champions, My Friend
we're gonna take it to another level
he's showtime on fire unconscious
he's got good stuff
we refuse to lose
high five
low five
shuck-and-jive
he's arrived
but it ain't over til it's over
and it's over
so Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye
--Eddie Chuculate
one day at a time
one game at a time
you play like you practice
and it takes practice, practice, practice
(This is practice, man, practice)
after which we'll
get on our horse
get on the stick
get with it
get into it
then take it to the house
We wanna give the fans their money's worth
We keep our heads in the game
not in the stands
it's time to stop talkin and start chalkin
put up or shut up
walk the walk
we carry our heads high
because even if we lose we've got nothing to be ashamed of
winners never quit
and quitters never win
so let's get focused
let's get jacked
cause sometimes you gotta play on emotion
play to win
play like there's no tomorrow - cause there ain't
but if we don't improve the only way we'll make it to the Big Game is if we buy tickets
and I'd rather not be fishing, hunting, or golfing - you've got all winter to do that
Hey, Ace, your mom had a better move with a man on
we're sending you down to the minors to learn a new pitch: it's called a strike
cause we need people who throw strikes
who throw gas
who kick and deal
who throw smoke
who rock and fire
who throw heat
we need someone who can put a little mustard on it
a little juice
someone who can twirl a masterpiece
a gem
give a sterling effort
post gooseggs
sit you down
brush you back
put you in the books
keep you honest
someone who has the backbone to throw chin music
stay ahead
work the count to his favor
win by the hairs on his chinny chin chin
someone who guts it out
plays with pain
and doesn't tell me, 'It's just a game'
The skipper, the captain says he's never been more proud of a bunch of guys
they'll go to war with you
put in a full day's work
they're real pros
they're all professionals
they're all class acts
player's players
coach's players
leaders on and off the field, court, ice
warriors
He is baseball
He is basketball
He is football
He's got great vision
He's a coach on the field
(he's my quarterback, man, my quarterback)
he's got great skills
he's a field general
but not the General
not Bobby Knight
who knows the game inside and out
never lets the game pass him by
who's a player's coach
a coach's coach
Say, 'What's up, Knight?'
And he's ready to fight
Some Indiana college kid
But not the Say Hey Kid
So Say it ain't so,
Shoeless Joe
Win some lose some
is a loser's credo
Winning ain't everything
It's the only thing
Take care of the little things
Ask Bill Russell, he won 11 rings
You have to be prepared when you come to play Bobby's teams
'cause no one outworks him
he will not be outworked
his men run through walls for him
leave nothing on the court
play til the final buzzer
get in your face
get in your shorts
but we have respect for the enemy
especially when we go to their house
The Big House
The House of Pain
The House That Ruth Built
We'll keep our eyes peeled
our heads on a swivel
cause if you don't you'll get killed
get creamed
get crushed
and
worst of all
get knocked into next week
next month
the middle of next year
Any team can win on any given Sunday
and we think we have a chance any time we step on the field
step across the lines
step into the squared circle
We didn't come here to lose
we're not just showing up
we won't lay an egg
It's time to strap it on
get it on
turn up the heat
pump up the volume
raise the roof
get crazy
get stoked
because this is what it's all about
this is why we play the game
this is for all the marbles
and if you can't get up for this one you don't belong here
you should hang it up
check it in
take it to the house
look for a new line of work
cause this ain't for the weak at heart
you gotta have heart
you gotta believe
you gotta love it
cause it all comes down to this
down to the wire, the last shot, the last second, the last pitch
even though you can turn a game around with one swing
take control
jump on them early
stay ahead
never look back
take what they give us
take it and run with it
He's our bell cow
our heart and soul
He's gonna put us on his shoulders and take us to the title
the crown
the whole shooting match
all the marbles.
He's a stud
an animal
a workhorse
a stallion
($15 million? I got kids to feed, man)
we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat
we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory
three yards and a cloud of dust
We're gonna turn this thing around
right the ship
go worst to first
cause we're no cellar dwellers
it'll be 3 up 3 down
cause we're in the zone
on fire
we've got pennant fever and it's a long way to October
Wilt the Stilt or the Big Dipper?
Like Rockne said
Win one for the Gipper
It's the Showdown in Motown
the Rumble in the Jungle
the Battle in Seattle
the War on the Shore
We're going to light up the
Homer Dome
Astro Dome
Super Dome
because
There's No Place Like Dome
He's cat quick but tenacious as a bulldog
eyes like a hawk
He floats like a butterfly
and stings like a bee
Sugar Ray Leonard
avenged a big loss
Hands of Stone Duran
said no mas, no mas
Play with fire you get rope burns
the loser never learns
Another Motor City Madman:
Thomas Hitman Hearns
Never say die
never say never
Slapped with a 'T'
slapped silly
slap happy
slapped it into left field
slapped upside your head
said oops upside your head
and down the stretch they come
leading after the first turn
second turn
third turn
let that mother burn
he's a speed demon
a burner
a flyer
Hail Mary
rally caps
avenge the loss
seek revenge
atone for our mistakes
promising young rookie who shows flashes of brilliance
on a tear
road swing
we dug ourselves a hole but we climbed out of it
we shot ourselves in the foot
cause we lined up in the pistol
capitalize on their mistakes
we were giving it away
making them look like World Beaters
until we started making them earn it
dagnabbit! dagburnnit!
drilled in the fundamentals
delivers in the clutch
so Start Me Up
and We Will We Will Rock You
cause We Are The Champions, My Friend
we're gonna take it to another level
he's showtime on fire unconscious
he's got good stuff
we refuse to lose
high five
low five
shuck-and-jive
he's arrived
but it ain't over til it's over
and it's over
so Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye
--Eddie Chuculate
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Santa Fe New Mexican review
Byline: JENNIFER LEVIN Jennifer Levin
Cheyenne Madonna by Eddie Chuculate, Black Sparrow Books, 143 pages
The first book by Institute of American Indian Arts alumnus and Stegner Fellow Eddie Chuculate is a novel-in-stories that tackles an impressive number of themes while never straying far from the life of its main character, Jordan Coolwater. Jordan appears in all but the first piece, "Galveston Bay1826," a tone-setting tale about four Indian men on a road trip. Chuculate brilliantly works the tension between the potential for clicha and the reality of the narrative; Old Bull, Red Moon, Sandman and Whiteshield share many of the troubles, and drives, of modern men. Set against the rest of the book, it is an origin story -- a context for comparison when faced with the question Chuculate ultimately poses: What has become of us?
When we meet Jordan in "YoYo," he is living with his grandparents, wiling away the summer days before seventh grade. He is mesmerized by his new neighbor, Yolanda, who is two years
older, black, and in possession of an unnerving charisma. Within their friendship, Chuculate explores the power dynamics between Jordan and the rest of the world and begins to look at relationships between Indians and blacks in Oklahoma, a topic that recurs in several stories. Chuculate is forthright in his treatment of race and prejudice, as well as socioeconomics, alcoholism, and abuse. Among his many strengths is his facility with dialect, a tricky issue for even the most experienced author. It's easy to write speech patterns that are based on broad assumptions rather than individual people, and even easier to mistake accents or regionalisms for characterization. In this passage, Chuculate writes:
"My grandma be havin' some Creek off in her, but Pops said I ain't got no Indian," YoYo said. She held her arm out in front of her. "See, if I had some Indian off in me I'd be light like you."
Her arm was darker than his but not exactly black, Jordan thought. Blackern' a charcoal grill, he'd heard Grandpa describe his friend Mr. Jones.
"Uncle Rodney say Indians got some dog off in them 'cause they be eating dogs but I don't believe his crazy ass." She paused. "You folks don't eat no dog, do you?"
Dialect isn't a trick here; YoYo's verbal quirkiness enhances her charm and makes her irresistible to Jordan (and the reader). Jordan falls under the sway of many smooth talkers, and though he becomes a bit of a cipher from time to time, it is never a mystery why he is so willing to lose himself to other people.
Alcohol, the downfall of nearly every character in Cheyenne Madonna, seeps into the stories slowly at first and then flows freely as Jordan reaches the age of majority. Everyone drinks, most notably the men in his life, a collection of wandering uncles who pop in and out of his childhood like so many hit-or-miss fathers, there for a day or two and then gone without a goodbye. Jordan's real father is the title character in "Dear Shorty" the book's longest piece and deepest foray into Jordan's inner world. Shorty is an alcoholic musician in Tulsa, where he lives mostly on the streets though he isn't homeless -- he simply prefers to be walking distance from the liquor store instead of outside of town in his well-maintained Cherokee Housing Authority home. Jordan's own struggles with addiction, women, and the law grow more pronounced in each story, as do the themes of cultural and personal alienation. Whenever the possibility of love presents itself, whether romantic or familial, Jordan leans into it, even when it means subverting his own interests as an artist. Painting and sculpting always come second to benders, and hangovers can last for days, even weeks.
In "Under the Red Star of Mars," Jordan has grown from angry young man to famous Indian artist, recently transplanted from Santa Fe back to Tulsa. But this isn't Jordan's story, it's Lisa's, a runaway woman from Oklahoma City who has made a new life for herself. Though we don't know it yet, this marks a turning point for Jordan, who is still trying to find out what kind of man he is or can be.
The title story brings about resolution, though very few happy endings. In the final pages, as Jordan faces a new tragedy, the underground current of the stories breaks the surface: "He couldn't bring himself to draw another Indian on a galloping horse plunging a spear into a buffalo's hump, or sitting cross-legged on a blanket stoically smoking a peace pipe or blowing a goddamned flute."
Chuculate presents a profound disconnect between the mythology of Indian art and the present-day reality of Indian artists, who rarely get to be artists without the cultural qualifier. He also lays bare the effects of widespread multigenerational addiction without making excuses for the way his characters treat each other. There are no saints in here, and no demons, either. Cheyenne Madonna is a fantastic debut.
-- Jennifer Levin COPYRIGHT 2010 The Santa Fe New Mexican
Cheyenne Madonna by Eddie Chuculate, Black Sparrow Books, 143 pages
The first book by Institute of American Indian Arts alumnus and Stegner Fellow Eddie Chuculate is a novel-in-stories that tackles an impressive number of themes while never straying far from the life of its main character, Jordan Coolwater. Jordan appears in all but the first piece, "Galveston Bay1826," a tone-setting tale about four Indian men on a road trip. Chuculate brilliantly works the tension between the potential for clicha and the reality of the narrative; Old Bull, Red Moon, Sandman and Whiteshield share many of the troubles, and drives, of modern men. Set against the rest of the book, it is an origin story -- a context for comparison when faced with the question Chuculate ultimately poses: What has become of us?
When we meet Jordan in "YoYo," he is living with his grandparents, wiling away the summer days before seventh grade. He is mesmerized by his new neighbor, Yolanda, who is two years
older, black, and in possession of an unnerving charisma. Within their friendship, Chuculate explores the power dynamics between Jordan and the rest of the world and begins to look at relationships between Indians and blacks in Oklahoma, a topic that recurs in several stories. Chuculate is forthright in his treatment of race and prejudice, as well as socioeconomics, alcoholism, and abuse. Among his many strengths is his facility with dialect, a tricky issue for even the most experienced author. It's easy to write speech patterns that are based on broad assumptions rather than individual people, and even easier to mistake accents or regionalisms for characterization. In this passage, Chuculate writes:
"My grandma be havin' some Creek off in her, but Pops said I ain't got no Indian," YoYo said. She held her arm out in front of her. "See, if I had some Indian off in me I'd be light like you."
Her arm was darker than his but not exactly black, Jordan thought. Blackern' a charcoal grill, he'd heard Grandpa describe his friend Mr. Jones.
"Uncle Rodney say Indians got some dog off in them 'cause they be eating dogs but I don't believe his crazy ass." She paused. "You folks don't eat no dog, do you?"
Dialect isn't a trick here; YoYo's verbal quirkiness enhances her charm and makes her irresistible to Jordan (and the reader). Jordan falls under the sway of many smooth talkers, and though he becomes a bit of a cipher from time to time, it is never a mystery why he is so willing to lose himself to other people.
Alcohol, the downfall of nearly every character in Cheyenne Madonna, seeps into the stories slowly at first and then flows freely as Jordan reaches the age of majority. Everyone drinks, most notably the men in his life, a collection of wandering uncles who pop in and out of his childhood like so many hit-or-miss fathers, there for a day or two and then gone without a goodbye. Jordan's real father is the title character in "Dear Shorty" the book's longest piece and deepest foray into Jordan's inner world. Shorty is an alcoholic musician in Tulsa, where he lives mostly on the streets though he isn't homeless -- he simply prefers to be walking distance from the liquor store instead of outside of town in his well-maintained Cherokee Housing Authority home. Jordan's own struggles with addiction, women, and the law grow more pronounced in each story, as do the themes of cultural and personal alienation. Whenever the possibility of love presents itself, whether romantic or familial, Jordan leans into it, even when it means subverting his own interests as an artist. Painting and sculpting always come second to benders, and hangovers can last for days, even weeks.
In "Under the Red Star of Mars," Jordan has grown from angry young man to famous Indian artist, recently transplanted from Santa Fe back to Tulsa. But this isn't Jordan's story, it's Lisa's, a runaway woman from Oklahoma City who has made a new life for herself. Though we don't know it yet, this marks a turning point for Jordan, who is still trying to find out what kind of man he is or can be.
The title story brings about resolution, though very few happy endings. In the final pages, as Jordan faces a new tragedy, the underground current of the stories breaks the surface: "He couldn't bring himself to draw another Indian on a galloping horse plunging a spear into a buffalo's hump, or sitting cross-legged on a blanket stoically smoking a peace pipe or blowing a goddamned flute."
Chuculate presents a profound disconnect between the mythology of Indian art and the present-day reality of Indian artists, who rarely get to be artists without the cultural qualifier. He also lays bare the effects of widespread multigenerational addiction without making excuses for the way his characters treat each other. There are no saints in here, and no demons, either. Cheyenne Madonna is a fantastic debut.
-- Jennifer Levin COPYRIGHT 2010 The Santa Fe New Mexican
Publishers Weekly starred review, Sept. 20
“In seven interconnected stories Native American author Chuculate pursues the painful self-discovery of a Creek / Cherokee youth trying to distance himself from his family's chronic drinking, impoverishment, and racism. In ‘YoYo,’ Jordan, the dreamy protagonist of most of the stories, finds his myopic world abruptly pried open by the appearance of an older, and dazzlingly fast, black girl named YoYo. In ‘A Famous Indian Artist,’ Jordan describes the disintegration of his admiration for his uncle, Johnson Freebird, the only relative he has who has lived a creative life. In ‘Dear Shorty,’ Jordan depicts his alcoholic father, Shorty, in shockingly unsparing and unsentimental terms; after first following disastrously in his footsteps, Jordan achieves stature as an artist, yet continues to try to connect with his father, even after it's too late. Chuculate writes forthright prose in a somber key, examining without judgment the lives of Native American characters like Old Bull, a Cheyenne who, in ‘Galveston Bay, 1826,’ the collection's one stand-alone story, ventures out to see the ocean for the first time, only to get savaged by a hurricane. Memory and will converge here to powerful effect.” Conflict here is tense and nuanced, and this sleek prose yields a tale that is complex, thought-provoking, and darkly funny- — Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews review
Seven linked stories dip in and out of the life of a Native American, a talented artist when he's not drinking.
Chuculate's debut starts with a historical rush. For some historical/cultural perspective, he shows us four Cheyennes, thrilled by their discovery of the Gulf of Mexico. "Galveston Bay, 1826" is punchy and resonant. The next story ("YoYo"), set in 1970s Oklahoma, introduces the future artist, Jordan Coolwater. He's in seventh grade, living in a small town with his impoverished grandparents. They have new neighbors, well-to-do black professionals. Their daughter YoYo is a sassy track star. She and Jordan hit it off. Class, race, prejudice, puberty—Chuculate finesses it all beautifully. Then come superficial character sketches of two uncles. Uncle Tony ("Winter, 1979") is a vicious racist; Johnson L. Freebird ("A Famous Indian Artist") is a hard-drinking blowhard. Both stories find their rhythms quickly. The longest story in this collection is "Dear Shorty , " a fascinating account of Jordan's relationship with his father. Shorty is a far-gone alcoholic, a barber before he got the shakes and his wife left him. Jordan's now a young man, with a joshing, nonjudgmental attitude toward Shorty. Ironically, their only bond is the bottle: "You can trace the progression of alcoholism in my family like a flying arrow and I'm the bull's-eye." It's a story that keeps a tight focus on father and son while veering off into Jordan's troubles with the law and his escape from an Indian Detention Center. The focus in "Under the Red Star of Mars" is on Jordan's future wife, Lisa Old Bull, about to ditch her abusive black boyfriend. Jordan, who's selling everything at his breakthrough show, is a welcome contrast. In the title story, they're married, but their baby is stillborn; Lisa leaves him and, in an ominous echo of Shorty's affliction, the tremors stop Jordan painting and sculpting.
The drama of an artist and his hereditary demons is portrayed well in this astonishing debut.
Chuculate's debut starts with a historical rush. For some historical/cultural perspective, he shows us four Cheyennes, thrilled by their discovery of the Gulf of Mexico. "Galveston Bay, 1826" is punchy and resonant. The next story ("YoYo"), set in 1970s Oklahoma, introduces the future artist, Jordan Coolwater. He's in seventh grade, living in a small town with his impoverished grandparents. They have new neighbors, well-to-do black professionals. Their daughter YoYo is a sassy track star. She and Jordan hit it off. Class, race, prejudice, puberty—Chuculate finesses it all beautifully. Then come superficial character sketches of two uncles. Uncle Tony ("Winter, 1979") is a vicious racist; Johnson L. Freebird ("A Famous Indian Artist") is a hard-drinking blowhard. Both stories find their rhythms quickly. The longest story in this collection is "Dear Shorty , " a fascinating account of Jordan's relationship with his father. Shorty is a far-gone alcoholic, a barber before he got the shakes and his wife left him. Jordan's now a young man, with a joshing, nonjudgmental attitude toward Shorty. Ironically, their only bond is the bottle: "You can trace the progression of alcoholism in my family like a flying arrow and I'm the bull's-eye." It's a story that keeps a tight focus on father and son while veering off into Jordan's troubles with the law and his escape from an Indian Detention Center. The focus in "Under the Red Star of Mars" is on Jordan's future wife, Lisa Old Bull, about to ditch her abusive black boyfriend. Jordan, who's selling everything at his breakthrough show, is a welcome contrast. In the title story, they're married, but their baby is stillborn; Lisa leaves him and, in an ominous echo of Shorty's affliction, the tremors stop Jordan painting and sculpting.
The drama of an artist and his hereditary demons is portrayed well in this astonishing debut.
Notre Dame review
'Cheyenne Madonna' author Eddie Chuculate weaves a shocking and memorable read
3.5 shamrocks
Published: Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 23:09
Book jacket image courtesy of Black Sparrow Books
Chuculate won the O. Henry Prize in 2007 for his short story "Galveston Bay, 1826," the first of the seven short stories in "Cheyenne Madonna." Just published in July, "Cheyenne Madonna" is Chuculate's first book.
"Galveston Bay, 1826" describes Cheyenne Indian Old Bull travelling to the ocean for the first time with his friends. An unexpected hurricane leaves Old Bull the only survivor. The remaining six interconnected short stories of "Cheyenne Madonna" detail Jordan Coolwater's adventures 150 years later as he leaves Oklahoma and travels to the West to become a sculptor.
Jordan Coolwater is introduced as a seventh grade boy spending the summer with his grandparents on Creek Indian land. YoYo, a self-assured and sexually explicit ninth grade African American girl, moves into a nearby house. YoYo quickly escalates their friendship into a shocking evening alone at her house. The events are at first baffling, but Chuculate's narrative is daring. His plot twists and climatic scenes earn him appreciation as an articulate and masterful storyteller.
Chuculate's plot digs deeps into human emotions and situations. Chuculate does not spare any topic from discussion. Alcoholism, racism and sexual abuse are only a few of the difficult topics Chuculate seamlessly weaves into his text.
Each situation and plot detail is unexpected. The book manages to enlighten, question and enrage the reader all within a short span of text. "Cheyenne Madonna's" plot is sometimes shocking, but the surprising and unsettling parts of its story only add to its appeal.
Alcohol and art become driving forces of the text's plot. Alcoholism permeates Jordan's family as both his uncle and father are heavy binge drinkers. Jordan also cannot escape alcohol, and his addiction becomes more apparent as he seeks to further his artistic career.
Jordan's relationship with his father, Shorty, is expressed more clearly in the story "Dear Shorty." Chuculate foreshadows later despair in its opening paragraph when he writes, "What a lonely feeling that is, at the edge of the earth, the edge of your hopes, to look out over a balcony as spooky nighttime fog creeps in, and not be able to see the water but only hear it, hear it boil to a hushed roar, then release."
Beautiful descriptive details such as this make the reader engage with Chuculate's text. Not only are his details descriptive, but his characters are realistic and honest. Each character suffers, makes mistakes and learns through pain.
Jordan's life takes a myriad of twists and turns which ultimately end with him in prison. After prison, Jordan begins his artistic career anew and rediscovers love.
Chuculate successfully weaves a unique plot. The text's realistic character descriptions, fast-paced plot and unexpected outcomes keep the text a mystery until the end.
Although the plot's outcomes are sometimes sad, Chuculate's eloquent story relates a message of hope. The text is hopeful for a new beginning, for a new chance of self-discovery and for the possibility of achieving a person's dreams and goals. "Cheyenne Madonna" is a shocking and evocative read not soon forgotten.
On campus
What: "Cheyenne Madonna" reading by author Eddie Chuculate
Where: Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore
When: Thursday, Sept. 30, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
How much: free
Learn more: nai.nd.edu
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