
Skins
A Novel
Adrian C. Louis(Author)
University of Nevada Press
Published on 11. October 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
285 pages
978-1-64779-022-6 (ISBN)
Description
By the end of the twentieth century, Adrian C. Louis had become one of the most powerful voices in the canon of Native American literature. His poetry and fiction have been widely read, anthologized, and translated. Skins, first published in 1995, is now introduced with a new foreword by David Pichaske, professor of English at Southwest Minnesota State University, and Louis's personal friend and colleague.
It's the early 1990s and Rudy Yellow Shirt and his brother, Mogie, are living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, home of the legendary Oglala Sioux warrior Crazy Horse. Both Vietnam veterans, the men struggle with daily life on "the rez." Rudy, a criminal investigator with the Pine Ridge Public Safety Department, frequently arrests his neighbors and friends, including his brother, who has become a rez wino.
But when Rudy falls and hits his head on a rock while pursuing a suspected murderer, Iktome the trickster enters his brain.Iktome restores Rudy's youthful sexual vigor-long-lost to years of taking high blood pressure pills-and ignites his desire for political revenge via an alter ego, the "Avenging Warrior." In a violent act, the Avenging Warrior torches the local liquor store, nearly burning Mogie alive while he is hiding on the store's roof, plotting to steal booze. Although the brothers reconcile before Mogie dies, he gives the Avenging Warrior one final mission: go to Mount Rushmore and blow the nose off George Washington's granite face.
In 2002, Skins made into a movie directed by Chris Eyre.
It's the early 1990s and Rudy Yellow Shirt and his brother, Mogie, are living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, home of the legendary Oglala Sioux warrior Crazy Horse. Both Vietnam veterans, the men struggle with daily life on "the rez." Rudy, a criminal investigator with the Pine Ridge Public Safety Department, frequently arrests his neighbors and friends, including his brother, who has become a rez wino.
But when Rudy falls and hits his head on a rock while pursuing a suspected murderer, Iktome the trickster enters his brain.Iktome restores Rudy's youthful sexual vigor-long-lost to years of taking high blood pressure pills-and ignites his desire for political revenge via an alter ego, the "Avenging Warrior." In a violent act, the Avenging Warrior torches the local liquor store, nearly burning Mogie alive while he is hiding on the store's roof, plotting to steal booze. Although the brothers reconcile before Mogie dies, he gives the Avenging Warrior one final mission: go to Mount Rushmore and blow the nose off George Washington's granite face.
In 2002, Skins made into a movie directed by Chris Eyre.
Reviews / Votes
Louis presents a picture of contemporary Native American life that is often as funny and warm as it is disturbing." -Publishers Weekly"Skins is an acclaimed and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library Native American Literary Fiction collections."-Midwest Book Review
"Louis's undercurrent of grittiness has made an indelible mark. Skins is the only novel that, in touching on rez life, works with the aesthetic of the real and looks unflinchingly at life as it is."-Erika Wurth, professor of creative writing at Western Illinois University, author of White Horse
"The telling [of Skins] is honest and stark, perfect for this raw and powerful tale."-Joy Harjo, author of Poet Warrior: A Memoir
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Reno
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
318 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64779-022-6 (9781647790226)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2022
University of Nevada Press
€26.99
Available for download
Persons
Adrian C. Louis (1946-2018) was a half-breed member of the Lovelock Paiute Tribe. In addition to Skins, he published over a dozen collections of poetry, a collection of short stories, and posthumously, Ghost Dancers: A Novel. Louis is remembered for his aggressive refusal to romanticize life on or off the reservation.
Content
Half-Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Title Page
Copyright Page