Of Uncommon Birth by Mark St Pierre

Of Uncommon Birth by Mark St Pierre

A work of creative nonfiction inspired by the true story of two South Dakota teenagers, Mark St. Pierre's Of Uncommon Birth draws upon extensive interviews and exhaustive research in military archives to present a harrowing story of two young men - one white, one Indian - caught in the vortex of the Vietnam War. Dale, a young middle-class white American from South Dakota, joins the army during the Vietnam War and dreams of serving his country. Frank, a young Lakota Indian, joins the army in an effort to flee the seemingly inescapable circumstances of his life and to follow his people's warrior tradition. Mark St. Pierre intimately weaves together the lives of these two men from different worlds, as each struggles with issues of loyalty, responsibility, sacrifice, and personal identity through his experiences in Vietnam. Of Uncommon Birth presents the ironic story of an American Indian soldier who lets himself become stereotyped as the Native ""good luck charm,"" even if the brave Indian scout stereotype carries with it the smell of death.

A moving and powerful novel of the Vietnam War. . . St. Pierre knows the reservation well, and his descriptions of combat have an unforgettable authenticity."" - Ian Frazier, author of On the Rez

""So compelling in its humanity that it leaves the reader with a composite of emotions - anger, remorse, sorrow, awe."" - Robert Sanderson (Micmac), American Native Press Archives, University of Arkansas, Little Rock

""A detailed and poetic expression of Vietnam. . . . Portrays the folly of the whys and wherefores of a Native man fighting the white man's war."" - Robert M. Owens, Lakota storyteller

Mark St. Pierre has lived among the Lakota people since 1971, both as an educator and as an encourager of American Indian art. His involvement has given him a special sensitivity to the more subtle aspects of acculturation and continuity in Lakota identity. He is Adjunct Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Creative Writing in Colorado Mountain College, Steamboat Springs.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9780806153452
ISBN 10	0806153458
Title	Of Uncommon Birth
Author	Mark St Pierre
Condition	Nicht verfügbar
Binding type	Paperback
Publisher	University of Oklahoma Press
Year published	2016-02-28
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.
Note	Nicht verfügbar