Alexie A No-Show For Reading Series Author Is First To Skip Pen/Faulkner Event

At 31, Sherman Alexie is one of the hottest new writers on the scene - the author of 10 well-regarded books of fiction and poetry, a novice filmmaker who just won two awards at the Sundance festival, a self-described “ticked-off Indian.”

Alexie has now managed to tick off some other people, too.

Tonight he will become the first writer not to show up for the PEN/Faulkner reading series, one of the most prominent venues for novelists in the country.

“This has never happened to us before,” said PEN/ Faulkner President Patricia Griffith, noting that in 15 years the series has hosted more than 150 writers, including Pulitzer, National Book Award and Nobel Prize winners. “We’re disappointed and fairly angry about it,” she added.

“He obviously felt like this was too much to do, but he might have let us know.”

The novelist, who returned a reporter’s phone call from his Seattle home Thursday evening, sounded apologetic. “I’m a horrible person. This is all my fault. I’m completely irresponsible and completely exhausted. I’m more irresponsible than 150 other writers put together.” He also said he was ill.

Alice McDermott, author of the well-received new novel “Chasing Billy,” will stand in.

PEN/Faulkner brings about a dozen writers a year to Washington in its benefit series. The money raised goes to help pay for the PEN/Faulkner Award, given each spring.