[ vision impairment ]
DEEN, JASO (DEEN@mx.afrri.usuhs.mil)
Tue, 26 Oct 1999 12:29:14 -0400
Oki, Gentles...
I will spare you the longtime-listener-first-time-caller introduction, but I
think it's worth a small mention. I don't really know why I am writing,
now. November is fast approaching (and Leonard's feet to the ankles are
still encased in ice, slowly swinging from the top (upside down), waiting
for the beast (who has lived (devoured) in the cave for a few and a couple
centuries) to swing at his eye (jaw) again), drums are being warmed, bells
are being attached, songs remembered...and some learned...again. It may be
because a worldwide focus (no matter how vague that focal point may be)
would be useful to calling our grandmother's, grandfather's, the Harris
Hawk's, the Oak's, the Stone People's (etc.) attention to where it is
needed. It may be because I saw myself doing this in a dream last night...
Whilst pouring over the 20/20 lists which appeared (thankfully) in my
mailbox, I noticed, what I considered to be, a rather gaping hole...namely
the absence of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (Sherman
Alexie). Alexie is (along with our Be-Loved) one of my favorites, and the
said title would be a sure-fired entry if my own 20/20 list was compiled.
So, I am wondering, has this book (or any of his work) been read by any of
you? Besides being richly-poetic prose, I feel it's a fine example of
situation (experience) based writing and it's Alexie's gift to make the
reader (Indian or otherwise) feel the weight of 500 years of lies. He's a
very important new writer indeed.
-jae.
((post script/side note) I agree with the young brother who included the
Dragonlance Chronicles in his 20/20 list, have you read any of the Raistlin
Chronicles? After the atrocious fourth to the original series, Weis does
deliver the good stuff about everyone's favorite character (whether they
know it or not).)