From: Kathleen T. Horning <horning>
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:52:35 -0500

Debbie, in my opinion, it's the opposite of homophobic. Alexie confronts homophobia naturally and directly in several passages, most notably the one about his grandmother, that begins: "Do you want to know the very best thing about my grandmother? She was tolerant." He then goes on to talk about how gays were accepted by Indians in the old days, and that his grandmother had no time for gay-bashing or homophobia.

There's also a passage where Junior and Rowdy call each other faggots, as many teen boys do quite freely. But he tempters it with this: ?Now that might just sound like a series of homophobic insults, but I think it was also a little bit friendly, and it was the first time that Rowdy and I had talked since I left the rez. I was a happy faggot!? I would argue that any teenage boy who is comfortable enough to call himself a faggot in this joyful sort of way is not homophobic. It also strikes me as very funny and I admire Alexie's honesty and integrity in this regard.

I can't speak for all gay people, but the other gay and lesbian readers I've discussed the book with have also felt very positive about those passages, as well as about the book in general.

I think "Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" is a great book, and I was pleased to see it get further accolades this year from the Odyssey Committee for the audiobook version.

KT


Kathleen T. Horning Director Cooperative Children's Book Center 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 N. Park St Madison, WI 53706

Phone: 608-263-3721 FAX: 608-262-4933

horning at education.wisc.edu http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/



Debbie Reese wrote:
> I've been thinking hard about ABSOLUTELY TRUE
> DIARY of late, prompted by a colleague who finds
> it homophobic. I asked another colleague about it
> and we've started studying passages in the book.
> This is hard for me, because I want to celebrate
> books by Native authors that are realistic
> portrayals of the lives of Native people. I find
> a lot of what Alexie shares in DIARY to be right
> on. That's its value, for me, but I'm thinking
> about the homophobia in the book and the work it does.
>
> I've been away from ccbc-net for some time, so if
> you already discussed this, I apologize for raising it now.
>
> Debbie
> (reading ccbc-net in digest)
>
>
>
> Visit my Internet resource:
> American Indians in Children's Literature
> http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.net
>
> Debbie A. Reese (Namb? O'-ween-ge')
> Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> Native American House, Room 2005
> 1204 West Nevada Street, MC-138
> Urbana, Illinois 61801
>
> Email: debreese at illinois.edu
> TEL 217-265-9885
> FAX 217-265-9880
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Fri 10 Apr 2009 12:52:35 PM CDT