Talk:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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Reference List

I will be adding to and revising this article over the next two months. Here is my reference list. Please feel free to add to it and help me in this process.

• "2009 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults." Young Adult Library Services 7.3 (2009): 30-31. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
• "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." Publishers Weekly 254.33 (2007): 70-71. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
• "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." School Library Journal 54.(2008): 61. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 March 2012.
• Alexie, Sherman. "Every Teen's Struggle." Publishers Weekly 255.7 (2008): 160. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 March 2012.
• Alexie, Sherman. "Fiction And Poetry Award Winner: The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian." Horn Book Magazine 85.1 (2009): 25-28. Academic Seach Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
• Attenberg, Jami. "Absolutely Fabulous." Print 61.5 (2007): 16. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
• Barcott, Bruce. "Off The Rez." New York Times Book Review (2007): 39. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
• "Best Books for Young Adults." Young Adult Library Services 6.3 (2008): 20-22. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
• Margolis, Rich. "Song of Myself." School Library Journal 53.8 (2007): 29. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
• McNamee, Gregory. "Absolutely True Tales of Censorship." Kirkus Reviews 79,17 (2011): 1508. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.

Crazykaystar (talk) 01:22, 6 March 2012 (UTC)

Welcome, I hope you have a good time on Wikipedia. Though lately I haven't been doing a whole lot with Wikipedia, I would love to help you improve this page (been watching it for a long time). If you have any questions or would like feedback on your resent improvements, go ahead and send me a User Email. Also, before you get started working on improving the page, take a gander at The Novels style Guide and some of the high quality articles about Novels such as Quicksilver (novel), The Great Lover (novel), and available at the featured articles list, Sadads (talk) 02:17, 6 March 2012 (UTC)

Outline

Up for review Your instructor has asked me to look at the outlines for changes that you plan to make to this article. It appears that you have yet to create an outline on this talk page, so it's not possible for me to provide feedback. Please bear in mind that I will be happy to help you, but I can't do that if you don't make any effort yourself. Pacing yourself is key to this assignment and since semester is mostly over, you really need to ensure that you're keeping up with project. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 05:24, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Interessant 2003:F6:5F08:D400:71FE:D299:35B2:F2C5 (talk) 12:15, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

Addition of Antioch, Illinois Censorship Case

Using an article from The Chicago Tribune, I located a censorship case in Antioch, Illinois. Below is a draft of my section:

In the summer of 2009, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was introduced to Chicago’s Antioch High School on a summer reading list for incoming ninth graders. It was not long before parents caught wind of the book’s references to alcoholism, sensitive cultural topics, and sexual innuendos—weeks after the school year had ended, seven Antioch parents attended a 117th District school board meeting to request that the book be removed from the curriculum (Fuller). John Whitehurst, the chair of the high school’s English department, cited exposure to alcohol and the presence of social tension as two relatable and important themes for students to understand before high school (Fuller). The novel’s description of alcohol as a destructive societal factor, in the eyes of Whitehurst, was a legitimately positive message for incoming freshman to understand. He also suggested that since recent studies suggest a lack of interest in reading among teenage males, a novel with an active male protagonist would be conducive to reversing the negative trend (Fuller).

However, Jennifer Andersen, one of the parents who attended the meeting, did not equate the novel’s positive messages with those that she perceived as inappropriate. Andersen asserted that while teenagers do use profanity on a daily basis, the inclusion of foul language in school curriculum indicates scholastic approval (Fuller). “I began reading, and I started to cross out sections that I didn't want [my 14-year-old son] to read. Soon I thought, 'Wait, this is not appropriate; he is not reading this,'" Andersen told The Chicago Tribune in 2009 (Fuller). She concluded that the most viable solution was a universal “warning label” on books. Importantly, both the parents and the superintendent told the Tribune that they had read the book before discussing its potential censorship (Fuller).

Unlike many of the novel’s censorship cases, Diary was not banned from Antioch High School’s curriculum following the controversy, nor did the school accept Andersen’s proposition. Instead, the English department introduced an alternative option for summer reading. Students who preferred to read Down River were permitted to do so, and the controversy ended in a peaceful compromise (Fuller).

Since this addition, several copyedits & changes have been made to this section.

William Rau (talk) 19:47, 9 December 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 19:47, 9 December 2016 (UTC)

Suggestions for Improvement

So far the article looks good. The sources seem to be reliable, but a lot are not clearly placed in the article. From just glancing at the article, it looks like a lot of the sentences are not cited. It seems like with all of that information, there should be citations. The article flows well. I'm not sure how relevent the section entitled "Characters" is. The article doesn't necessarily need it. However, I do think that you should add a "Themes" section. Alexie uses a lot of the same themes in all of his works and I think they are important to the understanding of his stories, poems, etc. Also, the plot summary is very detailed and long. According to Professor Wadewitz, the plot summary should be brief and only a couple of paragraphs. Otherwise, the article is well-written and easy to understand. I look forward to reading it in the near future! CamMarie (talk) 23:36, 9 April 2012 (UTC)

I agree with this - what information have you found published on the themes and style of the book? Right now, the article doesn't help the reader understand the book in any indepth way. Can we help readers out more? Wadewitz (talk) 13:56, 11 April 2012 (UTC)

This article contains a lot, but a few additions will make it even better. I believe adding a section on the Spokane Indian traumas will give readers a deep interpretation on what they went through. Also, in the Censorship section I am going to add a paragraph on the controversies in Idaho regarding text and class requirements. Katherine Hudson (talk) 03:44, 14 November 2016 (UTC)Katherine Hudson

Bibliography:

Alexie, Sherman,,Forney, Ellen,,. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian., 2009. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Berglund, Jeff,,Roush, Jan,,. Sherman Alexie : A Collection of Critical Essays. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2010. /z-wcorg/. Web. "Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 64.5 (2015): 145-50. Web.

Crandall, Bryan Ripley. "Adding a Disability Perspective when Reading Adolescent Literature: Sherman Alexie's the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." ALAN Review 36.2 (2009): 71-8. Education Database. Web.

Scales, Pat,,. Books Under Fire : A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books., 2015. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Duran, Eduardo, Bonnie Duran, Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, and Susan Yellow Horse-Davis. "Healing the American Indian Soul Wound." International Handbook of Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma (1998): 341-54. Web. Katherine Hudson (talk) 03:44, 14 November 2016 (UTC)Katherine Hudson

Themes

The theme of fatherhood is missing from this section. I will add. Percymetcalfe (talk) 17:29, 2 November 2016 (UTC)PercymetcalfePercymetcalfe (talk) 17:29, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

The theme of family is missing and it is quite significant to this book.[User:Moet-matsu|Moet-matsu]

The theme of poverty is missing from this section and is a reoccurring theme throughout the book. Jmross8

Junior v. Arnold

Since the only time in the article the character is called Arnold is in the plot summary, I'm going to change all the instances of "Arnold" to Junior. Aristophanes68 (talk) 03:34, 6 August 2015 (UTC)

Copied and pasted content

The article looks great overall and is very well developed. However, the Plot section is clearly plagiarized from the Schmoop summary, and I've marked it as such. Unless somebody feels like rewriting it, the section should probably be deleted soon to avoid violating copyright. Paulwe2 (talk) 19:27, 12 February 2016 (UTC)

Minor Issues With Pronoun Usage

The article needs a universal abbreviation for the novel's title (ex. Diary). I will continue editing paragraphs to remove unclear pronouns and eliminate use of passive voice.

--William Rau (talk) 04:01, 14 November 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 04:01, 14 November 2016 (UTC)--

Review and Reception Section

The article should include more reviews with different perspectives, not only the New York Times articles. I am going change the section by adding more informtion on the different reviesw froms scholorly articles. Tamf787 (talk) 14:39, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

This section lacks a subsection on literary interpretations. I will take an more in depth look at how scholars interpreted the novel, using particularly the essay by Bryan Ripley Crandall,“Adding a Disability Perspective When Reading Adolescent Literature: Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” and David Goldstein's “Sacred Hoop Dreams: Basketball in the Work of Sherman Alexie”. I will also look at Jan Johnson's article about the soul wound and historical trauma. Percymetcalfe (talk) 17:24, 2 November 2016 (UTC)PercymetcalfePercymetcalfe (talk) 17:24, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

Censorship Section

I am going to look for other times the book has been removed from schools, and organize the section so that it is not just a few examples without much to tie them together. OlivierMalle (talk) 14:43, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

The sources I plan on using are:

Anderson, Mike. "Waterloo Pulls Book from Classrooms, Sparking Debate." The Courtier. 8 Apr 2015 2015. Print.

Hadsall, Joe. "Tips to Help Parents Judge Books for Children." Suwannee Democrat, sec. Features: 23 Sep 2011 2011. Print.

Hoffman, Sarah. "Challenge to Absolutely True Diary Shut Down in Brunswick, NC." http://ncac.org/. 30 Apr 2015 2015. Web. 13 Nov 2016 <http://ncac.org/blog/challenge-to-absolutely-true-diary-shut-down-in-brunswick-nc>.

Johns, Andy. "Dade County Removes Novel from School Library and Reading List." , sec. News: 13 Nov 2011 2011. Print.

Peterson, Nancy. Conversations with Sherman Aleixie. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 209. Print.

Schaub, Michael. "The most Banned and Challenged Books of 2014." LA Times 15 Apr 2015 2015. Print.

Washburn, Kathleen. "Conversations with Sherman Alexie Edited by Nancy J. Peterson (Review)." American Indian Quarterly vol. 38 no. 1, 2014Print.

Cases to be added

West Valley School District, There's more cases of censorship as detailed by the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom... I will add the Yakima, Washington case. Percymetcalfe (talk) 18:21, 16 November 2016 (UTC)PercymetcalfePercymetcalfe (talk) 18:21, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

Williams, Maren. "Iowa Teachers Fight Ban of Absolutely True Diary." http://cbldf.org/. 10 Apr 2015 2015. Web. 13 Nov 2016 <http://cbldf.org/2015/04/iowa-teachers-fight-classroom-ban-of-absolutely-true-diary/>. — Preceding unsigned comment added by OlivierMalle (talk • contribs) 03:46, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

Filling in the content gaps

I will search for a specific scene or example from the actual novel that can support the reasons why the book has been challenged and banned. I will also try to look for other cases in which the novel was supported, in order to provide both sides of the censorship of this novel. Ml1624 (talk) 14:46, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

In this Wikipedia article, especially in the censorship section, I plan to provide more information about who supported the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and why it was supported. This section currently talks mostly about the controversy of the novel and why it was challenged or banned. Therefore, the readers will only understand the negative aspects of this novel, which creates a content gap. Therefore, I want to fill that gap and add in more information about cases in which the novel was maintained in the school curriculums, and instances where students or teachers fought for their rights to access the book.

Some sources that I intend to use:

1) "Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 62.2 (2013): 47-91. Web.

2) Crandall, Bryan Ripley. "Adding a Disability Perspective when Reading Adolescent Literature: Sherman Alexie's the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." ALAN Review 36 (2009): 71-8. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web.

3) Jodi Rave, Lee E. "Author Puts Native Life in the Classroom." Rapid City Journal, The (SD)Sep 27 2008. Web.

4) McNamee, Gregory. "Absolutely True Tales of Censorship." Kirkus Reviews 79.17 (2011): 1508-. Web.

5) Bouwma, A. "An Honest Portrayal of Reservation Life." University Wire, Feb 20 2015. Web.

Ml1624 (talk) 21:56, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

On the Yakima Washington case there was some information duplicated because of two authors adding to the same section. I also added some links. Percymetcalfe (talk) 18:41, 5 December 2016 (UTC)PercymetcalfePercymetcalfe (talk) 18:41, 5 December 2016 (UTC)

I am going to clean up the syntax of this section, and remove distracting transitions and essay-writing language. Tc820 (talk) 20:40, 1 October 2017 (UTC)

The Importance of Multicultural Literature

I want to contribute more to this Wikipedia page by discussing the importance of multicultural text in this wikipedia page article. The article currently has no information about multicultural literature, but I believe that this idea is significant to Sherman Alexie's novel because the main character narrates his experience living in America as a Native American. Therefore, I will attempt to discuss the benefits that this novel brings to its readers in educating them about the importance of multicultural perspective. Ml1624 (talk) 22:00, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

Sherman Alexie's Biographical Background and Purpose

I see that this article lacks an adequate amount of background information on Sherman Alexie, along with commentary about his purpose in writing this novel. He has released interviews, articles, and other forms of media with the intention of informing his audience on the book's origins, all of which can enhance the understanding of Alexie's motives, major themes, and literary devices.

Alexie's commentary is present in several sections (ex. section about alcoholism in Native American culture), but is not formally organized or introduced.

I will use articles from critics and from Alexie himself, and will produce a section that analyzes and discusses them. These sources are posted below (I will likely be adding more as I begin the outlining process):

Bibliography (including sources for enhancement of censorship section)

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. New York, Little, Brown and Company, 2007.

Alexie, Sherman. "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me." The Most Wonderful Books: Writers on Discovering the Pleasures of Reading. Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 1997. Print.

Berglund, Jeff and Jan Roush. Sherman Alexie : A Collection of Critical Essays. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2010. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Bowers, E. "NAJA Unity Workshop Topics Focus on Prejudice, Whaling." Seminole Tribune: 10. Jul 30, 1999 1999. Ethnic NewsWatch. Web. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/362594781?accountid=11091>.

Fuller, Ruth. "Some parents seek to ban 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.'" The Chicago Tribune [Chicago], 22 June 2009, articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-06-22/news/0906210159_1_part-time-indian-absolutely-true-diary-ban. Accessed 16 Nov. 2016.

Johnson, Jan. "Healing the Soul Would in Flight and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." Healing the Soul Wound, by Eduardo Duran, Teachers College Press, 2006.

McNamee, Gregory. "Absolutely True Tales of Censorship." Kirkus Reviews 79.17 (2011). Web.

Miller, Donna L. "Honoring Identity with Young Adult Novels." Tribal College 24.4 (2013). Ethnic NewsWatch. Web.

Scales, Pat. Books Under Fire : A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books, 2015. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Below is a draft of the section:

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie reflects on the cultural mistreatment of Native Americans through the lens of a reliable protagonist. As a native of the Spokane Indian Reservation, Alexie uses Junior’s experiences to discuss those of his own childhood, and explores the ideas of suffering and inferiority. Jan Johnson, a writer and literary critic, discusses Alexie’s purpose in “Healing The Soul Wound,” an article that examines connective elements and common literary tools among Alexie’s publications.

Johnson immediately identifies the “soul wound,” a concept that evolved from the mistreatment and exploitation of Native Americans (Johnson, 225). This phenomenon is responsible for the characterization of Native Americans as individuals who are constantly suffering, and according to Johnson, this struggle has become a distinct trait of Native Americans. Johnson writes, “Alexie feels that—as a result of this grim history—suffering and trauma are fundamental to the experience of being Native American. Ceaseless suffering attains an epistemological status” (Johnson, 227). Alexie paints an image of such a “wounded” individual through his depiction of Junior, his alcoholic father, his misguided sister, and his defeating social life. Through Diary, he aims to make a larger statement about the need for change in both the structure and the external perception of Native American communities in the United States.

In his own writing, Alexie has explored the concept of upward mobility in Native American life. “A smart Indian is a dangerous person,” Alexie writes in a personal essay, “widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike” (Alexie, 130). Such an experience is true of Junior, who receives strong censure after leaving the reservation to improve his prospects of a better future. Alexie continues to explain that Junior’s experience parallels that which he experienced as a precocious child on the reservation. Alexie reveals, “I fought with my classmates on a daily basis. They wanted me to stay quiet when the non-Indian teacher asked for answers…we were Indian children who were expected to be stupid…we were expected to fail in the non-Indian world” (Alexie, 130). Thus, Junior’s eventual success in the “non-Indian” world is Alexie’s ideal situation for Native American children. He is hopeful for the future.

William Rau (talk) 17:20, 2 November 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 17:20, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

Elaboration of the Censorship Case in Richland, Washington

I will use Gregory McNamee's "Absolutely True Tales of Censorship" to elaborate on the censorship case in Richland, Washington. This change will accompany a greater effort to improve the censorship section's accuracy and impact.

^Above edit scratched--another student took care of this.

William Rau (talk) 19:41, 9 December 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 19:41, 9 December 2016 (UTC)

William Rau (talk) 03:34, 14 November 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 03:34, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

User Percy Metcalfe Intended Edits

This is my intended bibliography for edits I will make. It may change as I go deeper into my research. The majority of my additions will be in the area of critical interpretations- I've already added two of these. I will also look to flesh out any details on the section on censorship using local news papers.Percymetcalfe (talk) 22:27, 9 November 2016 (UTC)PercymetcalfePercymetcalfe (talk) 22:27, 9 November 2016 (UTC)

Works I intend to Cite

1. Alexie, Sherman, Forney, Ellen. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian., 2009. /z-wcorg/. Web.

2. Alexie, Sherman, and James Mellis. "Interview with Sherman Alexie." Conversations with Sherman Alexie. Ed. Nancy J. Peterson. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2009. 180-186. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web.

3. Berglund, Jeff, Roush, Jan. Sherman Alexie: A Collection of Critical Essays. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2010. Web.

4. "Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 62.2 (2013): 47-91. Web.

5. "Censorship Dateline: Schools." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 63.3 (2014): 80-2. Web.

6. Crandall, Bryan R. "Adding a Disability Perspective when Reading Adolescent Literature: Sherman Alexie's the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." The ALAN Review 36.2 (2009): 71. Web.

7. Goldstein, David S. "Sacred Hoop Dreams: Basketball in the Work of Sherman Alexie." Ethnic Studies Review: The Journal of the National Association for Ethnic Studies 32.1 (2009): 77-88. Web.

8. Scales, Pat. Books Under Fire : A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books., 2015. /z-wcorg/. Web.

9. Wayland, Nerida. "Representations of Happiness in Comedic Young Adult Fiction: Happy are the Wretched." Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures 7 (2015): 86+. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web.

10. Berry, Harrison. "Hard to Put Down." Boise Weekly: 8. Apr 16-Apr 22, 2014 2014. Alt-PressWatch. Web. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/1528143687?accountid=11091>.

11. "Chicago Parents Want Sherman Alexie Book Banned." Confederated Umatilla Journal: 39. Jul 2009 2009. Ethnic NewsWatch. Web. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/363338164?accountid=11091>. Percymetcalfe (talk) 22:26, 9 November 2016 (UTC)PercymetcalfePercymetcalfe (talk) 22:26, 9 November 2016 (UTC)

Bibliography for Stolckhom, Missour Case, AudioBook Section and the New Multicultural Litratrue Section

This are the articles and journles that I will be using to edit the page: "Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 59.6 (2010): 241-59. Web.

Censorship Dateline." Newsletter On Intellectual Freedom 59.6 (2010): 241-259. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Columnist, Globe. "Lee Duran: Banning, censoring books never wise." Joplin Globe, The (MO) 17 Sep. 2010, Lifestyles. NewsBank. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Crandall, Bryan Ripley. "Adding a Disability Perspective when Reading Adolescent Literature: Sherman Alexie's the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." ALAN Review 36 (2009): 71-8. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web.

Editor, Globe Features. "Joe Hadsall, Geeked Out: Obviously, board didn't read book." Joplin Globe, The (MO) 17 Sep. 2010, Lifestyles. NewsBank. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Saricks, Joyce. "Banned and Challenged Books on Audio." 09/01; 2016/11 2014: 137. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web. <http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA382808630&asid=415009cb090e80e267a13ff82d1b6990>.

Staff, NCAC. "Sherman Alexie Discusses Book Banning and Censorship." National Coalition Against Censorship. N.p., 14 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. Tamf787 (talk) 14:46, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

The is a article I found that seems to be used for Plagiarized information

Gutenberg, Project. "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing. N.p., Sept. 2007. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. Tamf787 (talk) 14:43, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

First Drafts

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Diary) is an award winning novel by Native American author, Sherman Alexie. The novel details the travails of Junior or Arnold, as he attempts to transition between school on the Spokane Indian Reservation and in the majority white town of Reardan. According to Marshall University, the novel was one of the top ten challenged books in the United States from 2011 until 2015. The American Library Association states that the reasons parents and community members most often took issue with the book were racism, offensive language, sexually explicitness, and references to controlled substances.

Sherman Alexie’s novel was challenged in his home state of Washington, only a few hours drive away from where the semi-autobiographical work is set. The dispute over the book’s appropriateness for high school students took place in the town of Yakima, in the West Valley School District. The book’s place in the syllabus was contested in 2012-2013.

The Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, which records all instances of challenges to literature in the U.S., reports that The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian had been approved by the school district for grades 11 and 12, but was added to the 10th grade curriculum without undergoing the usual procedure (51). The book was studied, by sophomores, in conjunction with Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, for a module on racism. The Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom records how this pairing – and the inflammatory language of Diary – made Alicia Davis, an elementary school teacher with a daughter in the class, uncomfortable: she said that the subject matter of To Kill a Mockingbird (lynching and Jim Crow) was enough for one class (52).

The Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom discloses that Davis understood the need for a different cultural perspective, but argues that such offensive language has no place in a high school class; she suggests Alexie’s book be reserved for colleges (52). The Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom adds that Davis’ friend, Katie Birley, joined her in protest against the books because the school didn’t follow proper protocol – Assistant Superintendent Peter Finch admitted that this wasn’t right, but was “an honest mistake” (52). The book was removed from 10th grade classes and made supplemental literature for 11th and 12th grades, but not required reading.

In a letter to the editor of The Yakima Herald, Peggy Haskall defends Diary’s place in schools: “a book like this begs to be read and discussed”. Haskall goes on to write that she encouraged her daughters to read the book “to be exposed to the realities of life for people who grow up in a very different environment.”

Critical Interpretation

Nerida Weyland’s article “Representations of Happiness in Comedic Young Adult Fiction: Happy Are the Wretched” describes how Junior/Arnold is an example of the complex, not-innocent child often presented in modern young adult literature (87). As detailed in Alyson Miller’s “Unsuited to Age Group: The Scandals of Children’s Literature” society has created an “innocence of the idealized child”; Miller’s protagonist is the opposite of this figure.

According to Weyland, Alexie doesn’t play by the rules –The use humor in the book is directed at established “power hierarchies, dominant social ideologies or topics deemed taboo” (91). Weyland suggests that the outsized effect of this feature of the book is revealed in the controversy its publication caused – banned and challenged in schools all over the country (91). Weyland states that Alexie’s book with Forney’s black-comedy illustrations explore themes of “racial tension, domestic violence, and social injustice” (91) in a never-before-done way. As an example, Alexie uses the anecdote of the killing of the Junior’s dog, Oscar, to expand on the idea of social mobility, or lack thereof – he states that his parents were poor and they “came from poor people who came from poor people who came from poor people, all the way back to the very first poor people” (Alexie, ) (Weyland, 91). Weyland notes how readers are likely to be uncomfortable with Junior/Arnold/Alexie making fun of topics of such importance.

Works Cited and Works I Intend To Cite

Alexie, Sherman,,Forney, Ellen,,. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian., 2009. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Alexie, Sherman, and James Mellis. "Interview with Sherman Alexie." Conversations with Sherman Alexie. Ed. Nancy J. Peterson. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2009. 180-186. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web.

Berglund, Jeff,,Roush, Jan,,. Sherman Alexie : A Collection of Critical Essays. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2010. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Berry, Harrison. "Hard to Put Down." Boise Weekly: 8. Apr 16-Apr 22, 2014 2014. Alt-PressWatch. Web. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/1528143687?accountid=11091>.

"Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 62.2 (2013): 47-91. Web.

"Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 61.1 (2012): 9-20. Web.

"Censorship Dateline: Schools." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 63.3 (2014): 80-2. Web.

"Chicago Parents Want Sherman Alexie Book Banned." Confederated Umatilla Journal: 39. Jul 2009 2009. Ethnic NewsWatch. Web. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/363338164?accountid=11091>.

Crandall, Bryan R. "Adding a Disability Perspective when Reading Adolescent Literature: Sherman Alexie's the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." The ALAN Review 36.2 (2009): 71. Web.

Goldstein, David S. "Sacred Hoop Dreams: Basketball in the Work of Sherman Alexie." Ethnic Studies Review: The Journal of the National Association for Ethnic Studies 32.1 (2009): 77-88. Web.

Haskett, Peggy. "Book has Great Value." Yakima Herald-Republic (WA)Jan 17 2013. Web.

Miller, Alyson. "Unsuited to Age Group: The Scandals of Children's Literature." College Literature 41.2 (2014): 120-40. Education Database, Research Library. Web.

Scales, Pat,,. Books Under Fire : A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books., 2015. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Wayland, Nerida. "Representations of Happiness in Comedic Young Adult Fiction: Happy are the Wretched." Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures 7 (2015): 86+. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web.

Percymetcalfe (talk) 05:00, 17 November 2016 (UTC)PercymetcalfePercymetcalfe (talk) 05:00, 17 November 2016 (UTC)

Citation errors

In Sherman Alexie's Biographical Background and Purpose, my citations were meddled with in a non-friendly manner. Accurate citations were replaced with incorrect ones--I am changing them back now. To all other users, please check your citations occasionally! My classmates reported similar issues.

William Rau (talk) 17:52, 5 December 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 17:52, 5 December 2016 (UTC)

Dates in the censorship section would be useful.

William Rau (talk) 18:43, 5 December 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 18:43, 5 December 2016 (UTC)

Copy editing

I am in the process of copy-editing the entire page, section by section. All edits are minor, and do not change any content.

William Rau (talk) 19:41, 9 December 2016 (UTC)William RauWilliam Rau (talk) 19:41, 9 December 2016 (UTC)

Further Possible Improvements

I would like to add information to some of the character descriptions on the page, namely Rowdy and Gordy as they lack significant detail in their descriptions. I would also like to add information about the upcoming movie, as there is only a brief sentence giving inaccurate information about the movie in place right now.

Armonmohebbi (talk) 20:45, 28 September 2017 (UTC)

Article Syntax and Style

Certain sections of this article use language that would be more suited to an essay than an article. I intend to go through the article and remove distracting language in order to improve the readability of the article, and increase focus on the substance of each section rather than the writing style.

Tc820 (talk) 20:49, 1 October 2017 (UTC)

Clarity in Plot Section

All of the deaths of Junior's loved ones are listed at the end of the plot, and it seems confusing to the reader that the deaths would not be placed in sequential order along with what happens in the story. I would like to place each of the deaths in sequential order throughout the plot section to give some clarity to how each one affected his character progression during the novel.

Sarah cox17 (talk) 14:06, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Proposed Revisions to Article

At present, this article has many sections toward the end which are not the same quality as the sections at the beginning of the article. The "controversy" section is disproportionately large, and is not internally balanced. That is, this section contains a lot of information regarding the censorship of the book, but not enough about defenses of the book. "Controversy" implies argument on both sides, and therefore this section should discuss defenses of the book. I plan to add a subsection under Controversy containing defenses made by Alexie as well as other writers, scholars, and educators. Additionally, the section "Sherman Alexie's biographical background and purpose" should not be a section. I plan to move the first paragraph of this section to the Historical Trauma section, and the second paragraph to Autobiographical elements.

Planned bibliography:

"Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 62, no. 2 (03, 2013): 47-91. http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=ofm&AN=87435499&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

"Censorship Dateline." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 61, no. 1 (01, 2012): 9-20. http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=ofm&AN=78023234&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

"Censorship Dateline: Schools." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 63, no. 3 (05, 2014): 80-82. http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=ofm&AN=96515464&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

"Guardian Unlimited: Campaigners Defend 'Celebrated Novels' from US Censors." .

"Success Stories." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 60, no. 5 (09, 2011): 196-196. http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=ofm&AN=525562574&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Alexandria Gonzalez, The,Park Record. "Sherman Alexie and Chris Eyre Visit PCHS." Park Record (Park City, UT), Sep 24, 2013.

Baker, Jeff. "Sherman Alexie's National Book Award-Winning Novel Called 'Fifty Shades of Grey for Teens': This Week in Books." .

Doug Clark
, Spokane. "Keep Naughty Narratives Out of High School Hands." Spokesman-Review, the (Spokane, WA), Apr 06, 2014.

Rivera, Raquel. "Freedom to Read and the Stories we Need." 34, no. 4 (Fall; 2017/11, 2011): 4+. http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login? url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA273615915&asid=28535dccca028208db63bcfeb3580eb5.

SARICKS, JOYCE. "Banned and Challenged Books on Audio." Booklist 111, no. 1 (9, 2014): 137-137. http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=97828790&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Tc820 (talk) 22:24, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Possible Revisions to the Article

I will condense parts of the censorship section to streamline the structure and ease of receiving the information. I will also add multiple censorship events that are not noted currently in the article. I will combine the sections on the audiobook, the film adaptation, and the educational resources into one section on media in order to improve the structure of the article. Furthermore, the sections on historical trauma of the Spokane Indians and multicultural literature have a lot of redundant and unimportant information which I would remove, and condense the sections down to the important and relevant information. Armonmohebbi (talk) 15:28, 21 November 2017 (UTC)

Works Cited

"Alexie, Sherman, Joseph (1966 )." American Indian Culture: From Counting Coup to Wampum, edited by Bruce E. Johansen, Greenwood, 1st edition, 2015. Credo Reference, https://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/greenwoodtvc/alexie_sherman_joseph_1966/0?institutionId=702. Accessed 20 Nov 2017.

Alexie, Sherman, and James Mellis. "Interview with Sherman Alexie." Children's Literature Review, edited by Jelena Krstovic, vol. 179, Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CH1420112446&asid=18a7a3587e28383153906b0034bd658c. Accessed 20 Nov. 2017. Originally published in Conversations with Sherman Alexie, edited by Nancy J. Peterson, University Press of Mississippi, 2009, pp. 180-186.

Crandall, Bryan Ripley. "Adding a Disability Perspective When Reading Adolescent Literature: Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." Children's Literature Review, edited by Jelena Krstovic, vol. 179, Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CH1420112448&asid=7be1eb392979dafc4f52317cce34490d. Accessed 20 Nov. 2017. Originally published in ALAN Review, vol. 36, no. 2, Winter 2009, pp. 71-78.

Wayland, Nerida. "Representations of happiness in comedic young adult fiction: happy are the wretched." Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, vol. 7, no. 2, 2015, p. 86+. Literature Resource Center, proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=wash43584&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA462327864&asid=582301eac1bbffde5ab3012a2048c8da. Accessed 20 Nov. 2017.

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Suggested changes to "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" wikipedia page.

I would begin by correcting the mechanics of the first sentence; capitalizing the first letter of the first word, and also adding more to the beginning of the first sentence so it reads, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel by Sherman Alexie and illustrated by Ellen Forney."

Add the words "who is" in the second sentence after the first comma. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Abrisaenz2 (talk • contribs) 17:49, 8 February 2018 (UTC)

I would switch the positioning of the second and third paragraph so that the introduction can flow from discussing the novel's acclaim to discussing it's controversies and objections, and then go into a brief summary. I would also add a transistion sentence to the beginning of the second paragraph that reads something along the lines of, "Despite the novel's high acclaim and several achievements, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has also received a lot of objections and consistently appears on the annual list of frequently challenged books since 2008.[1]"

Minor Phrasing Editing

I plan to make small edits to change the phrasing of certain things to be more neutral and less biased sounding, particularly in the controversy section. --Amc475 (talk) 17:52, 8 February 2018 (UTC)

New Edit Suggestions

- The first sentence could be edited so it can be read as an actual sentence. - The second paragraph in the introduction over-represents the illustrations and should briefly mention Junior's struggles and relationships which are important to the plot. - Are all the hyperlinks useful? For example the link to school libraries doesn't seem to have any relevance to the book or its controversial nature. - Unbold hyperlinks in the table of contents. - In the last paragraph it says that all of Junior and his family's tragedies are related to alcohol. That seems to under represent other impacting circumstances such as poverty. - Historical Trauma Section: I think the writing style can be restructured in the first paragraph. I also think that the section title should be changed because the body of the section discusses trauma as revealed through Alexie's experience and Diary. When you read "Historical Trauma of the Spokane Indians" I would expect to read something more broad and not just focused on Alexie's experience. --Mrg111 (talk) 17:55, 8 February 2018 (UTC)

Additional alterations that could be made in order to improve the article:

1) The last paragraph of the plot states that "all" the hurdles that Junior and his family face are related to alcohol, which overly represents the theme of alcoholism, neglecting other, more "usual" issues surrounding teenagers such as "the need to fit in", as well his relationship problems and the fact that his own community sees him as a "traitor".

2) The fifth paragraph in the "plot" section is wordy, I will attempt to improve the flow.

3) Under censorship: add also anti religious messages as a source of controversy (more specifically anti Christian messages).

--MarcComair (talk) 17:55, 8 February 2018 (UTC)

The article is complete, however, I do think the film adaptation section could be developed, as a big name like Hugh Jackman is signed on the play a role in the film, yet it is not mentioned in the article. Admittedly, this is minor part of a minor section, so overall the article is complete.Jbo33 (talk) 21:25, 15 October 2020 (UTC)

Proposed Changes to the Historical Trauma Section

I am planning on condensing the information and rewriting several of the sentences to improve the syntax. I will explain the articles more in depth and remove the extraneous commentary. --Cpb244 (talk) 18:10, 8 February 2018 (UTC)

Additional Changes to Historical Trauma of Spokane Indians

The second half of the second paragraph in this section does not seem to relate back to the novel itself. Columbus surely had a devastating effect on the Native Americans all the way up to their lives today. However, I can't seem to find its relevance to this article. --Spkarp (talk) 15:51, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

Wikipedia Ambassador Program course assignment

This article is the subject of an educational assignment at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis supported by the Wikipedia Ambassador Program during the 2011 Q3 term. Further details are available on the course page.

The above message was substituted from {{WAP assignment}} by PrimeBOT (talk) on 16:27, 2 January 2023 (UTC)