“Smoke Signals” screenwriter Sherman Alexie to speak

January 31, 2002
Contact:
  • umichnews@umich.edu

ANN ARBOR—Noted screenwriter, author, and poet Sherman Alexie will present “Killing Indians: Myths, Lies, and Exaggerations” in the Michigan Union Ballroom on Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. as part of the University of Michigan’s 15th Annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium.

AlexieAlexie, a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington state. Described by the New York Times Book Review as “one of the major lyric voices of our time,” Alexie has authored seven books of poetry, several collections of short stories, two novels, and numerous works for magazines. He wrote the screenplay and produced the feature film “Smoke Signals,” based on his book, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” which received the Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

His recent endeavors include a new collection of short stories, “The Toughest Indian in the World.” He is contributing editor of the Web site, Contentville.com, and he is currently working on the screenplay adaptation of his novel “Reservation Blues,” which he will also direct and co-produce.

The U-M’s Information Technology Central Services, School of Information, Law Library, University Library, and Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives are co-sponsors of the presentation.

Alexie will be available for a book signing immediately following the event that is free and open to the public.

The Michigan Union is located at 530 South State St. For a map of U-M’s Central Campus: http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/ccamp.html





Sherman AlexieSpokane Indian ReservationThe Toughest Indian in the WorldInformation Technology Central ServicesMichigan Union