Sherman Alexie Returns To His Base: 'White, Liberal Women Of Independent Bookstores'
Poet Sherman Alexie knows who to credit for his success as a writer.
“Independent bookstores are the reason why I have a career,” he told Steve Scher on KUOW’s The Record. “When this started out, a book of poems and stories by a Spokane Indian would have never fit anybody’s algorithm. This was a very specific case of a very specific group of people: The white liberal women of independent bookstores promoting my career."
To thank them, he encouraged writers from across the country to volunteer on “Small Business Saturday” – a response to the chain craziness of Black Friday – to sell books in their local independent bookstore.
And because he has so many loyalties and friendships in Seattle, he will spend an hour at five locations in a wild marathon through the city. Here’s his schedule:
- 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at The Elliott Bay Book Company
- 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. at the University Book Store
- 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the Queen Anne Book Company
- 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Secret Garden Books
- 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park
Stop by and strike up a conversation with Alexie. Suggested topic: LA Lakers’ player Kobe Bryant’s $48.5 million contract signed earlier this week. He has strong opinions on the matter.
“I think it’s so typical of the man’s career that he still believes himself to be this good and deserving of being the highest-paid player in the NBA – and he’s destroyed the franchise for years!” Alexie said. “The funny part is watching his loyalists: It’s a real peek into religious fundamentalism to read the comments of Kobe’s fans – the absolute delusional belief in him.”
Produced for the Web by Kara McDermott.
