Monday, March 16, 2009

UNCW Presents hosts award-winning Native American author, poet, and filmmaker Sherman Alexie as part of the Leadership Lecture Series at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 23 in Kenan Auditorium. The talk is co-sponsored by UNCW Student Media.

Alexie's lecture, "The Partially True Story of the True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," is based on his latest book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which won the 2007 National Book Award in Young People's Literature. His talk will be followed by an audience question and answer period and book signing.

A highly prolific Seattle-based novelist, poet and screenplay writer, Sherman Alexie has been hailed as one of the best young writers of his generation. The New Yorker named him one of the top 20 writers for the 21st Century and the New York Times Book Review described him as "one of the major lyric voices of our time." Men's Journal called him "the world's first fast-talking, wisecracking, mediagenic American Indian superstar."

A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, Alexie grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington. In his lectures, he tells autobiographical tales of contemporary American Indian life laced with razor-sharp humor and bits of history, pop culture and social commentary. He speaks his mind on a wide range of issues — from race relations, religion and politics to homophobia, war and morality.

Alexie has published 17 books, collaborated on three movies and has also dabbled in stand-up comedy and music. His best known works include The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Smoke Signals and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. He has won the American Book Award, National Book Award and PEN/Hemingway awards along with many others.

Alexie, who has appeared on Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" and NPR's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," wrote and produced the 1999 film "Smoke Signals," based on his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, which won the Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. He currently is working on a screenplay of "The Toughest Indian in the World," which he will direct and co-produce, and a new adult novel Radioactive Love Song, which is being published by Little, Brown in spring 2009.

BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are $9 for the public and free to UNCW students, faculty and staff. For tickets and information, call Kenan Box Office 910.962.3500 or visit www.uncw.edu/presents. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and one hour prior to the event.

About UNCW Leadership Lecture Series
The Leadership Lecture Series is sponsored by UNCW Presents and serves as a forum for intellectual inquiry and discussion offering the campus and community opportunities to discuss and explore the political, cultural and economic trends and issues that shape and affect our communities today. By inviting a speaker to the campus, the university does not endorse any particular position. Expect to be enlightened, challenged and inspired. Series lecturers have included Richard Leakey, Jonathan Kozol, E.O. Wilson, Anna Deavere Smith, Azar Nafisi, David Halberstam, and other distinguished people. For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu/presents.