Author Takes Heat For Venturing Into Other Cultural Viewpoints

In this era of cultural sensitivity, Brady Udall doesn’t mind facing up to the forces of political correctness.

For example, in his just-published collection of short stories - “Letting Loose the Hounds” (Norton, 221 pages, $22), from which he will read at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Auntie’s Bookstore - the Harvard, Idaho, author writes in, among others, the voices of a drunken Apache man, a twentysomething woman and an elderly Native American of indeterminate heritage.

In today’s literary climate, some critics frown upon a writer who works from anything other than his own cultural experience.

In the remaining stories, Udall speaks in - or tells the stories of - variously aged white male characters, from teenagers to middle-age amateur basketball players. But those aren’t likely to upset anyone.

Not the way some readers were angered when the more thematically sensitive of Udall’s stories were printed in magazines.

“I had a couple of people call me and say, ‘How dare you!’ And I just said, ‘How dare you!’ right back,” Udall said. “Of course, they were white people just getting huffed up.”

No one, so far, has complained since the stories have been collected in book form.

“But that’s good nobody’s getting bothered by it,” Udall said. “They shouldn’t be bothered.”

Just guessing here, but some readers probably will be. Udall says that he’s had arguments with Seattle author Sherman Alexie over the issue, about which he says, “It’s just sad that those even have to take place.”

Udall’s position is that a writer shouldn’t be constrained, that his/her imagination should be encouraged to speak in whatever voice it feels compelled to explore.

“I have a lot of friends who are Apaches, I live around Apaches” said Udall, who grew up in eastern Arizona, near Hopi, Navajo and Apache reservations. “I figure if I don’t write about Apaches, who’s going to? I don’t even know any Apache writers.”

His novel, which he is still writing, features a protagonist who is half-Apache, half-white. He says Alexie told him that he shouldn’t write it in first person.

“He said, ‘You don’t dare do this, you don’t dare write in the first person.’ He said, ‘I don’t care if you write in the third person, just don’t write in first person.’ I said, ‘Forget it, man.”’

Udall laughed as he recalled Alexie’s admonition. “No, he’s not gonna give me any book blurbs, that’s for sure.”

Learning to write

Anyone interested in learning to write, or at least learning to write better, might be interested in the 34th annual Idaho Writers’ League conference, which will be held Oct. 1-4 in Pocatello.

Of course, anyone interested in making a bit of money through writing might be even more interested in the league’s writing contest. Prizes of $100 and $50 will be awarded to two top stories, $50 and $25 to the two top poems. Deadline is May 31.

For information on either the conference or the writing contest, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (No. 10) to: Dwen Jones, 530 Cleveland, American Falls, ID 83211. Or call Terry Workman at (208) 226-2448 or Phyllis Davidson at (208) 232-4761.

Books on Northwest women

Anyone interested in the roles that women played in Northwest history should note that the Washington State University Press has released “Northwest Women: An Annotated Bibliography of Sources on History Oregon and Washington Women, 1787-1970” (WSU Press, 128 pages, $32.95).

The source book was compiled by Karen J. Blair, professor of history at Central Washington University who spent eight years compiling the 722 reference works.

To contact WSU Press, call (509) 335-3581.

The Book of Mary

Spokane author/writing teacher Patricia Pfeiffer has written a novel that features the Virgin Mary in a contemporary light.

“Above All Women: The Story of the Virgin Mary” (WinePress Publishing, 397 pages, $17.95 paperback) “attempts to strip away the mists which have hidden the real mother of Jesus, to show her as a very human woman with the same emotions women feel today,” Pfeiffer wrote in a statement.

“Above All Women” can be ordered locally by calling 927-9460. Credit card orders can be made by calling (800) 917-BOOK.

More rhymes in time

In honor of national poetry month, creative writing students from Mead High School will read original poetry at 7 p.m. Friday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.

The event is free and open to the public.

The reader board

Brady Udall, author of the short-story collection “Letting Loose the Hounds,” will read from his book at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Rich Leon, co-author of “Spokane Trail Guides, will present a slide-show titled “Images From Nature” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Michael Power, author of “Lost Landscapes and Failed Economics,” will read from his book at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Emily Warn, author of “The Novice Insomniac,” will read from her book at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Carol Carter, author of “Majoring in the Rest of Your Life,” will conduct a free, 90-minute workshop based on her book beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Auntie’s Bookstore. The workshop is aimed at high school students or college freshmen.

, DataTimes