Sherman Alexie

I don't know about everyone else in the class, but I loved "Every Little Hurricane". The comparisons with hurricanes and the boy's troubles, and also the air of mystery about it, really caught my attention the whole time. Was he talking about a real hurricane? Or was he simply referring that his pain is as violent as one? If you want to know, read it yourself! Anyways, since I enjoyed the story so much, I thought I'd read a little bit more about the author. I found out that Alexie was born with water on the brain, which meant he went through numerous brain surgeries at very young ages. If he even survived, he was predicted to live with severe mental retardation. He beat the odds though, and only suffered from seizures through out his childhood. Once he reached middle school on the indian reservation he lived on, he promised himself he would attend high school at the town over. He arrived there to find he was the only Indian, which just pushed him harder to succeed. He then excelled academically and physically, becoming a star basketball player. When Alexie reached college, he immediately wanted to be a doctor. Who doesnt, right? He quickly discovered after losing consciousness in Anatomy classes that this was the wrong choice for him.

This is just a small excerpt of Alexie's life. If you want to know more, there is a awesome biography on his website. Super interesting! I hope to read more of his short stories or novels when I have the time.