The Florida Center for
the Literary Arts and the Miami-Dade Public
Library System present The Big Read, a national reading initiative created to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
From October through November 2009, the Center invites everyone to read Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich, an epic novel told in stories about two Chippewa families in North Dakota. The novel examines family, passion, cultural identity and healing.
The Center is committed to exposing South Florida to a multiplicity of Native American authors
and cultures, check our Web site for a complete listing of events.
Audio Guide
An Introduction to Love Medicine
Featuring Howard Bass, Kimberly Blaeser, Louise Erdrich, Tony Fitzpatrick, Amy Tan, Anton Treuer, Laura Waterman, Wittstock;
Readings by Irene Bedard;
Narrated by Josephine Reed
Part 1:
Love Medicine Audio Guide, Part 1
Part 2:
Love Medicine Audio Guide, Part 2
Online Resources
The National Museum of American Indian’s online exhibitions
http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=exhibitions&second=online
Louise Erdrich gave the commencement speech at Dartmouth in 2009. Read and listen here:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2009/06/14a.html
Information and history about the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida
http://www.miccosukee.com/tribe.htm
History of the Seminole Tribe of Indians
http://www.seminoletribe.com/history/
Native Americans Oral History Collections, part of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, affiliated with the University of Florida's Department of History.
http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc/?g=oral&c=oh4
Visit the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Big Cypress
http://www.ahtahthiki.com/index.cfm
The SALON Interview: Louise Erdrich
http://www.salon.com/weekly/interview960506.html
Louise Erdrich reads from The Plague of Doves at the New Yorker Festival
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/25/061225on_onlineonly03
Other works by Louise Erdrich
The Beet Queen, has multiple narrators like in Love Medicine. The novel revolves around German-American families in the fictional town of Argus, North Dakota, and examines parenting and abandonment.
Tracks features the elder characters from Love Medicine as they have conflicts between Catholicism and native beliefs.
In The Bingo Palace, Erdrich sets Lipsha Morrissey and Lyman Lamartine in opposition to each other as they vie for the love of the same woman.
The Plague of Doves is also a novel told in stories. Three Native Americans are wrongly accused of the murdering a family in 1911 North Dakota.
Books that Influenced Louise Erdrich
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Harafish by Naguib Mahfouz
Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Further Readings
Genocide of the Mind edited by MariJo Moore
This collection of 35 essays addresses the genocide of Native American culture. Authors include Leslie Marmon Silko, Sherman Alexie, and Paula Gunn Allen.
Sovereign Bones edited by Eric Gainsworth
This is a companion to Genocide of the Mind. This collection includes essays by Louise Erdrich, Allison Hedge Coke, Simon J. Ortiz, and Joy Harjo. It explores how Native Americans have managed to maintain individual identities in spite of so many hurdles.
The Inner Journey: Views from Native Traditions edited by Linda Hogan
A collection of stories, articles, poems, songs and interviews that explore the traditions that have nourished the Native Peoples of North America for thousands of years.
American Indian Literary Nationalism by Jace Weaver, Craig S. Womack and Robert Warrior
This book examines Native American literature criticism from a nationalist approach. The authors consider this methodology not only defensible, but also crucial to supporting Native national sovereignty and self-determination.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
First published in 1970, this book changed the way Americans looked at white settlers, as well as Native Americans. Based largely on primary source materials, this volume details the horrific ways Indian tribes were forced off the plains.
The Image Taker: The Selected Writings and Photography of Edward S. Curtis by Gerald Hausman
The Image Taker features essential selections of photographs and the seldom- seen tribal stories recorded and preserved by Curtis in his 20-volume masterpiece, The North American Indian, offering the reader a bridge through time to the last generation of Indians from the Buffalo Days of pre-reservation life.
Event Highlights:
OCTOBER
Tuesday October 20, 2009 7 p.m.
Film Screening of Coming to Light at the Cosford Theater with Bird Runningwater
Coming to Light examines the life of Edward Curtis, an early twentieth century photographer of Native Americans. Special guest Bird Runningwater, a programmer for Sundance Film Festival, will provide his insight and perspective on Native American films.
Thursday, October 22, 2009 7 p.m.
Film Screening of The Only Good Indian at the Upper Eastside Gardens
The Only Good Indian follows a boy in the early 1900’s as he finds his place as a Native American in a white world.
Thursday, October 27, 2009 7 p.m.
Film Screening of Miss Navajo at the Cosford Theater
Miss Navajo is a documentary about the Miss Navajo pageant. In the pageant, not only must contestants exhibit poise and grace, they must also answer tough questions in Navajo and demonstrate proficiency in skills essential to daily tribal life: fry-bread making, rug weaving and sheep butchering. The film follows Crystal Frazier, and through her perseverance, we see the power of Navajo women.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Book Club Mixer at Books & Books, Coral Gables
Books & Books will host a mixer for book clubs throughout South Florida who are reading Love Medicine Erdrich scholar, Lorena L. Stookey will host a discussion and answer questions.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
A Celebration of Louise Erdrich at the Main Library Downtown
Lorena L. Stookey, author of Louise Erdrich: A Critical Companion will be lecturing on Love Medicine and answering questions. There will also be a film screening of Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris: Searching for a Native American Identity, an interview conducted by Bill Moyers.
NOVEMBER
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 7 p.m.
Film screening of Smoke Signals at the Cosford Theater
Smoke Signals is a film based on the short stories of Native American author Sherman Alexie.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Story Time!
Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Cornelius Van Wright, and Ying-Hwa Hu
Tuesday, November 10, 7 p.m.
Film Screening of The Wind and the Water
Miami Beach Cinematheque
The Wind and the Water is a film about a young indigenous teen in Panama City, and his struggle to acclimate to urban life.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Native American Voices at Miami Book Fair International
Sherman Alexie will read from his new book War Dances.
Joy Harjo will present She Had Some Horses and For a Girl Becoming.
Debra Magpie Earling, author of the American Book Award winning novel Perma Red, will share her perspective on Native American literature.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 7 p.m.
Film Screening of Nokomis: Voices of the Anishinabe
Nokomis: Voices of the Anishinabe documents Ojibwe women’s attempts to restore and preserve their Native American heritage.
Book Discussions:
Key Biscayne Branch Library
299 Crandon BLVD
Key Biscayne FL 33149
305 361-6134
October 20th at 7:00 PM
South Shore Branch Library
131 Alton RD
Miami Beach FL 33139
305 535-4223
October 21st at 5:30 PM
Kendall Branch Library
9101 SW 97 AV
Miami FL 33176
305 279-0520
October 24th at 10:30 AM
North Dade Regional Library
2455 NW 183 ST
Miami FL 33056
305 625-6424
October 28th at 6:00 PM
Naranja Branch Library
14850 SW 280 ST
Naranja FL 33032
305 242-2290
November 3rd at 11:00 AM
Lakes of the Meadow Branch Library
4284 SW 152 AV
Miami FL 33185
305 222-2149
November 4th at 7:00 PM
South Dade Regional Library
10750 SW 211 ST
Miami FL 33189
305 233-8140
November 7th at 11:00 AM
Naranja Branch Library
14850 SW 280 ST
Naranja FL 33032
305 242-2290
November 16th at 11:00 AM
Palm Springs North Branch Library
17601 NW 78th AV #111
Miami FL 33015
305 820-8564
November 17th at 11:00 AM
Doral Branch Library
10785 NW 58 ST
Miami FL 33178
305 716-9598
November 18th at 6:30 PM
South Miami Branch Library
6000 Sunset DR
South Miami FL 33143
305 667-6121
November 18th at 7:00 PM
California Club Branch Library
850 Ives Dairy RD
Miami FL 33179
305 770-3155
December 3rd at 11:00 AM
Pinecrest Branch Library
5835 SW 111 ST
Pinecrest FL 33156
305 668-4571
December 2nd at 7:00 PM
December 10th at 7:00 PM
Sunny Isles Beach Branch Library
18070 Collins AV
Sunny Isles Beach FL 33160
305 682-0726
December 15th at 7:00 PM
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