About the Author of “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”
Sherman Alexie was born October 7, 1966, and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Sherman Alexie moved off of the reservation for high school and wanted to take up medical studies, but soon realized that he had a passion for poetry and writing. He has won numerous grants and awards for his writing such as the Sundance Award in 1998 for his indie film “Smoke Signals” and the National Book Award in Young People's Literature in 2007 for his book “True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” (The Ethics of Engagement, 41). Summary of “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is from his collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is about a young Indian man named Victor who not only recently lost his job, but has also found out about his father's death in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor is not very close to his father because he left when Victor …show more content…
Although Victor does not have any desire to befriend Thomas he feels that at the very least Thomas deserves to have half of his father's ashes. Once Thomas reserves half of the ashes from Victor he closes his eyes and tells another story. Thomas says that he plans on sprinkling Victors dad's ashes into Spokane Falls and that Victor's father would "rise like a salmon" and find his way home (The Ethics of Engagement: Educating Leaders For A Just World, 52). Victor smiles at this story and tells Thomas that he plans on sprinkling the rest of his father's ashes in Spokane Falls as well. In the end, as Victor is driving away Thomas told him that he could repay him by stopping and listening to one of his stories one day. Victor agrees and drives off. As Thomas walks into his house he hears a new story in his
Sherman Alexie was born October 7, 1966, and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Sherman Alexie moved off of the reservation for high school and wanted to take up medical studies, but soon realized that he had a passion for poetry and writing. He has won numerous grants and awards for his writing such as the Sundance Award in 1998 for his indie film “Smoke Signals” and the National Book Award in Young People's Literature in 2007 for his book “True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” (The Ethics of Engagement, 41). Summary of “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is from his collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is about a young Indian man named Victor who not only recently lost his job, but has also found out about his father's death in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor is not very close to his father because he left when Victor …show more content…
Although Victor does not have any desire to befriend Thomas he feels that at the very least Thomas deserves to have half of his father's ashes. Once Thomas reserves half of the ashes from Victor he closes his eyes and tells another story. Thomas says that he plans on sprinkling Victors dad's ashes into Spokane Falls and that Victor's father would "rise like a salmon" and find his way home (The Ethics of Engagement: Educating Leaders For A Just World, 52). Victor smiles at this story and tells Thomas that he plans on sprinkling the rest of his father's ashes in Spokane Falls as well. In the end, as Victor is driving away Thomas told him that he could repay him by stopping and listening to one of his stories one day. Victor agrees and drives off. As Thomas walks into his house he hears a new story in his