Blasphemy: new and selected stories

By Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie’s stature as a writer has soared over the course of his twenty-book, twenty-year career. His wide-ranging, acclaimed books, from The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven to the PEN/Faulkner Award–winning War Dances, have established him as a star in modern literature.

In Blasphemy, the daring, versatile, funny, and outrageous Alexie showcases all his talents. Half of the stories here are beloved classics, including ‘What You Pawn I Will Redeem’, ‘This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona’, ‘The Toughest Indian in the World’, and ‘War Dances’. The other half are brand-new stories, fresh and quintessentially Alexie, about donkey basketball leagues, lethal wind turbines, the reservation, marriage, and all species of contemporary American warriors.

An indispensable collection for devoted fans and first-time readers alike, Blasphemy reminds us, on every thrilling page, why Sherman Alexie is one of America’s greatest contemporary writers and a true master of the short story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scribe Publications
• Release date: Sep 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781921942969

Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie is the author of, most recently, Blasphemy, stories, from Grove Press, and Face, poetry, from Hanging Loose Press. He is the winner of the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award, the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the 2001 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and a Special Citation for the 1994 PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Fiction. Smoke Signals, the film he wrote and coproduced, won both the Audience Award and the Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Alexie lives with his family in Seattle.

Reviews for Blasphemy

[maribou-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

5 stars for the story "Search Engine"... 4.5 for most of the rest.

[viviennestrauss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I heard Alexie say that Joyce Carol Oates compared him to Philip Roth, I liken him more to David Sedaris. He writes with the perfect combination of intelligence, humor and sorrow. The more I read, the more I like him! I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite story in this book but if I had to pick one, it would be The Search Engine. I truly identified with Corliss - her lack of a community and a love of books.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing collection, half of which are a sampling of Alexie's best previously published stories and the other half new. What always amazes me about Alexie is how he is able to use humor to make palatable the many ugly, tragic things about which he writes. In the hands of a less competent writer, the humor would trivialize but Alexie's humor brings resonance and profundity. He channels his anger and bitterness into entertaining and poignant prose.

[librolindsay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had forgotten that this collection included previously published stories as well (even though it says so on the cover, durrrr) and was feeling kinda disappointed at first because I just want more, more, more(!!!!) Alexie, but I really loved revisiting stories I hadn't read in years. Some I loved even more than before--a few got the ol' waterworks going, which I don't think had happened before--and his new stories were great, too...shorter, but some really packed a punch. It was interesting to see it all together, how his writing has developed over the years. It has also inspired me to go back and re-read (or read anew) previous collections of his. Hats off, Sherman!

[sarahlh-41506 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not an easy book to read but a great book nonetheless. Many of these stories carry Alexie's signature emotional right-hook. I can't imagine reading this whole book in one sitting; a lot of the stories caught me right in the chest and had me taking breaks between them. Naturally, some stories worked better than other. I prefer his longer pieces to the 1-2 page micro stories, although for micro fiction they were still good. Very much recommended for fans of short stories and fiction in general.

[kymmac · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most of the stories were excellent, and one was superb. I fell absolutely in love with Frank Snake Church. Then again, still have no idea what Breakfast was about. Read each story slowly, one or two at a time. Wonderful short story collection.

[jarvenpa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A tender, rough, brilliant collection of stories. No one writes quite like Sherman Alexie. He walks that line between breaking your heart into pieces and making you want to howl or laugh or rush out into the rain just because, declaring your imperfections and humanity. Wow.
(this was a Goodreads First Reads win, and I read an uncorrected proof).

[abycats_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Spectacular writer. Not always a fan of short stories and I didn't enjoy every one of these BUT several of these are just about perfect. Written from the perspective of a Spokane Indian with one foot in the rez and one foot itching to get out, the various tales all ring true. Moreover, despite their distinctly local milieu, the characters and their reactions & lives are universal. Highly recommended.