The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a New York Times Book of the Year.
Diary won the National Book Award!!!!
Sherman accepting the award in NYC last night:
Sherman and I exchanged quick emails last night. Me: “I’m so happy and proud! You must be out of your mind!!!” Sherman: “And to you too crazy crazy crazy”
Wow!!
He also thanked me in his acceptance speech at the big huge gala ceremony.
In the current Sunday NYT review of Diary, Bruce Barcott says, “I keep flipping back to re-read the best scenes and linger over Ellen Forney’s cartoons.” It’s a great review and he loved the book.
The illustration they chose to include is Arnold at his grandmother’s funeral, as he feels the silent support of his tribe.
Jennifer Hunt, our editor at Little, Brown, asked how Sherman and I did a reading together. (”With gusto!”) I put together a PowerPoint presentation with the comics and illustrations from the chapter Sherman told me he would read, and projected them at the appropriate moment: (The sound guy took this photo, can you tell?)
After that chapter, I’d lined up about 12 more graphics, which I clicked through while Sherman and I talked about them - the characters, the scenes, my process, our collaborative process, and some side anecdotes.
“Thanks for the presentation!” “Thanks for coming!”
This time I’ll remember my camera. I hope.
Tuesday, October 30, 7:00 PM
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
206-366-3333
With the purchase of this book at Third Place Books, receive a limited-edition poster created to celebrate Mr. Alexie’s new novel and autographed by the author, while supplies last.
ALSO!: I just got word that the New York Times is going to run a review of Diary in their November 11 issue. Am I excited? I am excited.
The lovely Whitney Matheson wrote a lovely review of Diary for USA Today, with a really nice nod to me:
Adolescence is difficult for everyone, but it’s especially tough for Arnold “Junior” Spirit, a boy who lives with his poor relatives and was born with serious medical problems. Junior has transferred from his school on an Indian reservation to an all-white high school. He copes by cartooning — Forney’s flawless artwork is invaluable to Alexie’s story — and developing unlikely friendships. [more here]
Rick Simonsen of Elliott Bay Books wrote a lovely blog entry for Publishers Weekly about the National Book Award nomination, and Sherman’s and my reading at the Seattle Public Library. He included this about me:
“This night Sherman has with him Seattle graphic novel creator Ellen Forney, herself a popular bright spark. Her sensitive drawings give visual texture to the story Alexie writes - which is the closest thing to true memoir he has yet written. I’m not sure if he had cartoonist aspirations as young Arnold/Junior does in The Absolutely True but it’s a nice part of the story, which Forney’s work fleshes out with empathy and wit. Part of the evening is the two of them doing a power-point stroll through parts of the book.”
Sherman and I did a reading together at the Seattle Public Library this past Thursday, and it went GREAT. Lots of people (700-ish)… laughter (of course)… tears (literally!). I didn’t tell Sherman what I’d put together for the PowerPoint presentation, so our repartee was not ONLY witty, but spontaneous, which went over well. As always, I forgot to plant a camera in the audience, so I’m trying to track down some photos.
I’ll be joining Sherman again at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park on October 30, 7:00pm.
Big news!!: Diary was nominated for a National Book Award!!!! Jen Hunt, our editor at Little, Brown, sent me a huge bouquet of roses.
Jami Attenberg wrote a wonderful little article for the current issue of PRINT, a fancy-pants design magazine, focusing on my Absolutely True Diary comics and artwork.
My mom got several emails from her friends today because I was mentioned in this review of Absolutely True Diary on All Things Considered. Mom also pointed out that you can see my name on the book’s cover on an ad in the current New Yorker (page 98), which is actually pretty cool.
A new review in the Chicago Sun-Times suggests that I “channel” Junior - which is EXACTLY what I was trying to do:
“Junior is an aspiring artist — vividly channeled by Ellen Forney — and his scribblings provide another layer of understanding and levity to the story. The drawing of American-Indian wannabe Ted (”I’m not Indian … but I feel Indian in my bones”) should give anyone with a Pendleton jacket pause.”
Also, it looks like I may be joining Sherman for his Seattle readings on October 11 at the Central Public Library and October 30 in Lake Forest Parkway (where is that??). News on that when it comes.