Opening Keynote
Sherman Alexie
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
5:30 pm–7 pm
Power and Empowerment: An Urban Indian's Comic, Poetic, and Highly Irreverent Look at the World
An event not to be missed! Known for his semi-autobiographical writings that illuminate challenges facing American Indians while promoting cultural expression and social change, Sherman Alexie presents his take on language, identity, struggle, perseverance, hope, and respect—all with a heavy dose of candor and wit.
Author, poet, and screenwriter Sherman Alexie connects readers around the world to the American Indian experience. One of The New Yorker’s 20 top writers for the 21st century, Alexie’s novels, such as Reservation Blues, Indian Killer, and The Toughest Indian in the World, have won numerous awards. He also received Washington State University's Highest Alumni Award, the Katherine Anne Porter Award in Literature, and a Pushcart Prize. In 2014, he received a Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Men’s Journal has described him as “the world’s first fast-talking, wisecracking, mediagenic American-Indian superstar." In addition to writing and speaking, Alexie co-hosts a podcast with best-selling author Jess Walter.
Note: Mr. Alexie's keynote was not recorded at his request.