Is Michael Dorris Native American?

Michael Dorris, who was part American Indian, earned degrees in English at Georgetown University and anthropology at Yale University before founding the Native American Studies Program at Dartmouth College in 1972.

When was Michael Dorris born?

January 30, 1945
Michael Dorris/Date of birth

Where was Michael Dorris born?

Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Michael Dorris/Place of birth

What is The Broken Cord book about?

This is the heartrending story, full of compassion and rage, of how his son grew up mentally retarded, a victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome whom no amount of love could make whole. The volume includes a short account of his own life by the 20-year-old Adam, and a foreword by Dorris’ wife, the writer Louise Erdrich.

How did Michael Dorris commit suicide?

In March 1997, Dorris made a suicide attempt. On April 10, 1997, he used a combination of suffocation, drugs, and alcohol to end his life in the Brick Tower Motor Inn in Concord, New Hampshire.

Is The Broken Cord a true story?

He had cried so often during the making of “The Broken Cord”–the true story of a man who discovers that his adopted son’s afflictions were caused by the birth mother’s alcohol addiction–that he thought the subject matter couldn’t possibly make him cry again.

What happened to Adam from the broken cord?

The real Adam died last year after he was hit by a car.

How old is Patrice in The Night Watchman?

19
Patrice “Pixie” Paranteau, 19, works at the plant as well and helps to support her family. She had been class valedictorian and is the first person in her family to have a “white-people” job.

Which tribe is The Night Watchman about?

The individuals who populate the story are from Erdrich’s own tribe, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, and in fact one of the central characters — Thomas Wazhushk — is based on Erdrich’s grandfather. To tell its story, The Night Watchman employs several conventions typical of historical fiction.

Does Louise Erdrich own Birchbark Books?

Birchbark Books & Native Arts, owned by the novelist Louise Erdrich, provides indigenous-language guides, literature and crafts — and the latest best sellers.