In order to know somebody through their words, I mean, it has to be an, it has to be a letter, you know? It has to be a long e-mail. It has to be a five-page hand-written letter, you know, it has to be overwhelming and messy and sloppy as humans are.

Sherman Alexie

Categorized in : Hands Mean Order

I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.

Sherman Alexie

teenager writing book

Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.

Sherman Alexie

community struggle life-is

"I used to think the world was broken down by tribes," I said. "By black and white. By Indian and white. But I know that isn't true. The world is only broken into two tribes: The people who are assholes and the people who are not."

Sherman Alexie

black-and-white two thinking

If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.

Sherman Alexie

littles inspiring people

These are things you should learn. Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you; your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you. Maybe you don’t wear a watch, but your skeletons do, and they always know what time it is. Now, these skeletons are made of memories, dreams, and voices. And they can trap you in the in-between, between touching and becoming. But they’re not necessarily evil, unless you let them be.

Sherman Alexie

dream memories past

Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart and burp as well.

Sherman Alexie

fart jesus

He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day. Choice: that was the thing.

Sherman Alexie

courses choices love

If one reads enough books one has a fighting chance. Or better, one's chances of survival increase with each book one reads.

Sherman Alexie

reading writing book

Last September 16th, I was walking in downtown Seattle when this pick-up truck pulls up in front of me. Guy leans out the window and yells, "Go back to your own country," and I was laughing so hard because it wasn't so much a hate crime as a crime of irony.

Sherman Alexie

xenophobia hate country

When you resort to violence to prove a point, you’ve just experienced a profound failure of imagination.

Sherman Alexie

violence imagination profound

What kind of life can you have in a house without books?

Sherman Alexie

kind house book

My only purpose is to teach children to rebel against authority figures.

Sherman Alexie

rebel purpose children

At least half the country thinks the mascot issue is insignificant. But I think it's indicative of the ways in which Indians have no cultural power. We're still placed in the past. So we're either in the past or we're only viewed through casinos.

Sherman Alexie

country past thinking

Can you hear the dreams crackling like a campfire? Can you hear the dreams sweeping through the pine trees and tipis? Can you hear the dreams laughing in the sawdust? Can you hear the dreams shaking just a little bit as the day grows long? Can you hear the dreams putting on a good jacket that smells of fry bread and sweet smoke? Can you hear the dreams stay up late and talk so many stories?

Sherman Alexie

smell dream sweet

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

Sherman Alexie

chance stories kids

If I wasn't writing poems I'd be washing my hands all the time.

Sherman Alexie

washing writing hands

Don't live up to your stereotypes.

Sherman Alexie

stereotype

I grabbed my book and opened it up. I wanted to smell it. Heck, I wanted to kiss it. Yes, kiss it. That's right, I am a book kisser. Maybe that's kind of perverted or maybe it's just romantic and highly intelligent.

Sherman Alexie

kissing intelligent book

When anybody, no matter how old they are, loses a parent, I think it hurts the same as if you were only five years old, you know? I think all of us are always five years old in the presence and absence of our parents.

Sherman Alexie

hurt years thinking

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.

Sherman Alexie

girl boys kids