Sherman Alexie

White Americans have a short memory.

I felt so conflicted about having fled the rez as a kid that I created a whole literary career that left me there.

My career means, if you're a non-Indian writing about Indians, at least there's one Indian in your rearview mirror.

I was a controversial figure on my reservation when I was a kid. I was mouthy and opinionated and arrogant. Nothing has changed.

I thought I'd been condescended to as an Indian - that was nothing compared to the condescension for writing young adult literature.

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.

I don't think there's a whole lot of class literature at all. I think most of that has become racially based, and people don't think of it as being class literature.

I had the feeling I was going to be successful, and I didn't want to be another disappointing Indian.

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

The people who loved me when I was seven years old love my books, and the people who didn't like me when I was seven years old don't like my books.

I'm a method writer. In order to write about the emotion, I have to experience it. I get physically tired and exhausted, devoting hours and hours and hours to it.

My only purpose is to teach children to rebel against authority figures.