r/books • u/haislaheiltsuk AMA Author • Oct 23 '18
ama 1pm I’m, Eden Robinson, an Indigenous novelist currently writing about Tricksters in company towns. AMA
I grew up in Kitamaat Village, a small reserve 500 miles north of Vancouver, near the Alaska panhandle. I do my best to follow our nuyem, our protocols when writing about the hard-partying son of a Trickster who sells pot cookies to help his parents make rent.
Proof: /img/ex3b5d7d5st11.jpg
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u/nelsonbestcateu Oct 23 '18
I just stumbled into this thread not knowing anything. Could someone explain to me what this is about? What are tricksters?
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u/dernhelm_mn Oct 23 '18
What book of yours should I start with? The one you’re talking about sounds amazing and I want to read your work.
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u/d5fault Oct 23 '18
Hi Eden! I wrote a paper on Monkey Beach last year and really enjoyed the book. A big theme in Monkey Beach was the issue of lasting trans-generational trauma. I was just wondering what you think is the best course of action to try and break that cycle. Thanks.
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u/jeanvaljean91 Oct 23 '18
I read Monkey Beach for a class on the literature of residential schools, and I think it was the best book I read all year. I don't have a question, but I thought you should know how I much I loved this book, and I am looking forward to reading more from you!
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u/blueberriesinatoque Oct 23 '18
The little passages about the otter diving down (maybe with an urchin, resting in black hair?) and other small passages which served as a little break in the story were some of my favorite parts. I understand the one with the otter was alluding to Mick. I have a question about the passages where you go into depth about anatomy, something along the lines of "cut yourself open, touch the valves of your heart, feel your sternum". What did those passages mean to you? I found them engrossing and profound, but I am curious what you intended them to convey, as I'm not sure I ever really knew, except that they gave gravity to the story. I would love to hear your thoughts.
PS Monkey Beach is my favourite book this AMA makes this girl very happy!
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u/VictorySpeaks Oct 23 '18
I read Monkey Beach as an extra book in my Indigenous American Literatures class and I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to pick up Son of a Trickster. My teacher and I discussed the ambiguous end of the novel and I realized that a lot of the books I have read by Indigenous novelists this year had similar endings (Future Home of the Living God, There There). Do you think there is a reason for this?
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u/viv_knows_wasup Oct 23 '18
Have you ever been to Burns Lake BC? It is a few hours away from kitimat and It’s my village :)
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u/Inkberrow Oct 23 '18
How do those nuyem protocols inform or direct your writing?
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u/ReynoldsPenland Oct 23 '18
I read Monkey Beach last year and, although it's the only book of yours that I have read, I can say that I really enjoy your writing.
Along with other Indigenous writers that I respect (Sherman Alexie, James Welch), you've done an excellent job of portraying the ways in which Indigenous people and communities are marginalized, abused, and essentially forgotten by anyone not directly effected by this treatment. These problems have also caused a schism where some choose to embrace their heritage while others reject it.
How has your personal experience impacted the way in which you explore these ideas in your writing?
Thanks for your time.