Little big bully

Title:

Little big bully

Author:

Erdrich, Heid E. (Heid Ellen) author.

ISBN:

9780143135920

Personal Author:

Erdrich, Heid E. (Heid Ellen) author.

Publication Information:

[New York] : Penguin Books, [2020]

Physical Description:

xii, 94 pages ; 24 cm.

Series:

The National poetry series

National poetry series.

Abstract:

"Poet, artist, filmmaker, and curator Heid E. Erdrich explores the indigenous experience in multifaceted ways-personal, familial, biological, cultural. These poems, written from the perspective of an Ojibwe woman, reveal what sustained harassment does topeople, especially to women, children, and Native and Indigenous people, how it can lead to the oppression of others and even ourselves, and how experiencing misogyny and sexual abuse can make a person vulnerable to future abuse"-- Provided by publisher.

Language:

English

Subject Term:

American literature -- Indian authors -- 21st century.

American poetry.

Ojibwa poetry.

Genre:

Poetry.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Call Number	Status
Searching... Downtown Branch at Slover	Trade Paperback	0118617821210	811.54 ERD	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Little Big Bully begins with a question asked of a collective and troubled we - how did we come to this? In answer, this book offers personal myth, American and Native American contexts, and allegories driven by women's resistance to narcissists, stalkers, and harassers. These poems are immediate, personal, political, cultural, even futuristic object lessons.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

In Erdrich's fully alive poems, the speakers refuse to turn away from cruel truths, instead actively investigating and resisting attempts to disguise or hide them. As a Native American, as a woman, Erdrich knows how oppressors operate, preying on the seemingly weak or quiet ones, shouting louder and pushing hardest. She tackles different forms of bullying in these timely poems by interweaving the personal, public, and cultural. "Zeno's Indians" is particularly prescient in light of George Floyd's brutal murder when it states, "Minnesotans can be oppressively polite (Minnesota Nice) and racially despairing." Erdrich's experiments with language and repetition often produce chant- and rap-like rhythms that evoke rapid and repeated gunfire. Erdrich sees through false promises and gestures, writing "inside every handshake is a fist." Our current political and social landscape has reawakened cultural and racial traumas as well as memories of personal violation and abuse. This fierce truth-speaker will not stand down or stay silent. Erdrich is willing to reopen every wound with purpose, to shine a bright light into the darkest corner. She recreates real and painful scenes to make us bear witness, as if viewing body-camera video that does not lie.

Excerpts

How Loves How I love you How you How we hang on words How eaten with need How we need to eat How weevils sift the wheat How cold it is How thick with hoarfrost ice slick sleet freeze How wintry the mix How full of angst How gut sick How blue lipped How we drink How we drink a health How we care How easy over as eggs How it all slides How absurd How yet tender we all How wrapped in a thick coat How battered How slender the flesh How we wrap ourselves How many selves we all How I miss you many How I see you How your eyes warm mine How tiny am I inside How enormous my need How you open an old- fashioned satchel How deep it yawns How bleak this need How like winter How it yet catches the light How brilliant the sun dogs parhelion moon dogs paraselene phenomenon optic How fetching your spectacles How my thumbs might fit alongside the slope of your nose How my own glasses slide down my thin bridge How ridiculous the theory of the bridge How inane the bibble babble How we grew to be friends How we grew thumbs How opposable we all How we grew sparks How we blew up a fire How angry How incensed How we resist How we bead up drops How water will not run How we distract How loud the dog snores How loudly How noisy the snow grows How many degrees below How we fret How again How we all came here How did we come How did we How loves How did we come to this Sovereign Love When I look upon the beloved the real beloved not the beloved of memoirs made up in revenge but the active generator of love the love maker When I when When I look upon you Beloved I might avert my gaze let it stray only to your hands then up to your throat It is only in holding your eyes away from mine that I can stay sovereign in my love It is only for you not from you. It is more than state or nation This love is itself unto itself The only name it needs it speaks within me Call it what you will It will answer Excerpted from Little Big Bully by Heid E. Erdrich All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.