The percentage of Indian kids doing some sort of artistic work is much higher than in the general population - painting, drawing, dancing, singing. The creation of art is still an everyday part of Indian culture, unlike the dominant culture, where art is sort of peripheral.

He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day. Choice: that was the thing.

Is revenge a circle inside of a circle inside of a circle?

My father was always depressed. When he was home and sober, he was mostly in his room.

Gordie, the white boy genius, gave me this book by a Russian dude named Tolstoy, who wrote, 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' Well, I hate to argue with a Russian genius, but Tolstoy didn't know Indians, and he didn't know that all Indian families are unhappy for the same exact reasons: the frikkin' booze.

Do you know why the Indian rain dances always worked? Because the Indians would keep dancing until it rained.

Certainly I'm angry at the way Indians have been treated and continue to be treated. But I don't think it's a helpless emotion.