While living in Seattle, I experienced the work of Sherman Alexie, the gifted Native American writer who explores themes of despair, poverty, violence and alcoholism among the lives of his people, both on and off the reservation. Much of Alexie’s writing is lightened and made accessible to all audiences by his wit and humor. His screenplay for the film Smoke Signals is based on his short story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The image of the cigar store Indian was shot near Zion National Park with Alexie’s narratives in mind.
