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Sherman Alexie Quotes

Poet

Sherman Alexie is an American poet, writer, and actor, known for his works that reflect the life of Native Americans. He was born on October 7, 1966, and grew up in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Rainier, Washington.

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All Indian Knows People Book Thinking Ifs World Writing Way White Sherman Alexie Poverty Kids Mean Native Native American Want Wells Men Parent

Famous Sherman Alexie Quotes

“My sister is running away to get lost, but I am running away because I want to find something. And my parents love me so much that they want to help me. Yeah, Dad is a drunk and Mom is an ex-drunk, but they don't want their kids to be drunks.”

Kids Lost Drunk Parents Help Running Away Sister To Be Find Something

Book:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Source: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

“The percentage of Indian kids doing some sort of artistic work is much higher than in the general population - painting, drawing, dancing, singing. The creation of art is still an everyday part of Indian culture, unlike the dominant culture, where art is sort of peripheral.”

Art Stills Kids Culture Creation Painting Higher Singing Art Is Dancing Everyday Population Drawing Artistic Indian Dominant Percentages Indian Culture Dominant Culture

Author:Sherman Alexie

“How self-centered, how arrogant... Imagine the awesome privilege of living in a society where you get to choose what you eat at each and every meal. When I was a kid, I was a vegetarian and a vegan for long stretches... I was a commodity cheese-atarian.”

Long Self Kids Choices Imagine Privilege Meals Vegetarian Vegan Arrogant Cheese Commodity Self Centered

Author:Sherman Alexie

“Every Indian kid has access to MySpace and Facebook. But that doesn't mean they have access to books and great teachers. This idea about bringing digital tech into schools is great, but once again I'll say that this is not how people actually learn.”

People Mean Book Ideas Kids School Teacher Access Indian Digital Great Teacher

Author:Sherman Alexie

“I refuse to censor myself and kids will find their own way to my books and to all of the books that matter to them. As I write more honestly more kids will make their way toward me. And in subverting their repressive parents kids will learn the value of subverting the repressive nature of all authority figures.”

Writing Book Kids Values Parent Authority Honestly

Author:Sherman Alexie

“They put me in a holding cell with a black kid and a white kid and a Chinese kid. We're the United Nations of juvenile delinquents.”

Kids Nations Black White United Cells Chinese United Nations Juvenile Delinquents

Book:Flight: A Novel

Source: Flight: A Novel

“I felt so conflicted about having fled the rez as a kid that I created a whole literary career that left me there.”

Whole Kids Left Felt Careers

Author:Sherman Alexie

“I was a controversial figure on my reservation when I was a kid. I was mouthy and opinionated and arrogant. Nothing has changed.”

Kids Figures Changed Arrogant Controversial Reservations Opinionated

Author:Sherman Alexie

“I don’t want long hair, I don’t want short hair, I don’t want hair at all, and I don’t want to be a girl or a boy. I want to be a yellow and orange leaf some little kid picks up and pastes in his scrapbook.”

Want Littles Long Kids Girl Boys Hair Picks Yellow Leafs Orange Little Kid Long Hair Short Hair

Author:Sherman Alexie

“If you teach kids how to tell stories, they have a better chance at everything.”

Ifs Stories Kids Chance Teach

Author:Sherman Alexie

“The problem is that too many adults think their kids' lives are simple, or they try to make their lives simple, when their emotional lives are just as complicated as ours. They might have a few less tools to deal with it because they're young, but the emotions are all the same, and the subject matter is all the same.”

Thinking Trying Matter Problem Might Kids Young Simple Deals Emotion Subjects Emotional Adults Tools Complicated Simple Life Subject Matter Emotional Life

Author:Sherman Alexie

About the Author

Born: October 7, 1966
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 322

Books & Sources

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time IndianRelated source material

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in HeavenRelated source material

You Don't Have to Say You Love MeRelated source material

War DancesRelated source material

Flight: A NovelRelated source material

The Best American Poetry 2015Related source material

Ten Little IndiansRelated source material

The Toughest Indian in the WorldRelated source material

Blasphemy: New and Selected StoriesRelated source material

Reservation BluesRelated source material

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