On a scale from 1 to 10, I would probably give this book a 7.5. It was an easy read and held a handful of interesting little stories, but I feel could have been organized slightly better, especially in the middle sections of the book. I liked the end more than the beginning or the middle of the book, because I feel that King, in "Afterwards: Private Stories", truely says it as it is. He backs up his points with examples, such as the story about his friend John or the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
As for which story will stick with me the most, it would have to be the story towards the beginning of the book that King told of his would-be prom date that turned him down because her father would not let her date Mexicans (King 40). This story is a prime example of how many people, Americans as well as people in other parts of the world, are somewhat ignorant to even those that they see on a daily basis. We often hear of people saying "is he Chinese or Japanese?" "Chilian or Argentinian"? "Viatnamese or Cambodian?" True, if someone has never traveled outside of the country or to these specific places can they be blamed for not being able to tell one ethnicity or heritage from another?
I have always thought of stories as either a piece of entertainment or a way of learning something new. I now realize that stories are just about everything. In a thousand years we will be long gone, lucky to even have a single story with our names in it. If you have never met a person before and then hear them tell a story, about anything, then you feel like you already have some sort of feel for who the person is; some sort of intimate tie with them because the way that they tell a story, or the contents of that particular story, can say a lot about who, where, and why the person is there.

I liked King's book. Although I found all of his stories to be interesting, the one I liked the most was the story about Curtis. The concept of the "dying Indian" and his use of "boxes of Indian paraphernalia" to portray the "authentic Indian" seemed bizarre. Curtis's idea of what a true Indian is supposed to look like depicted new ideas that were readily accepted without question by many. After reading this, it made me think about what I had learned in previous years about Native people, and if the information I gathered was painting the same picture as Curtis was. I wonder if any of what I have learned thus far was similiar to the "captured image" of Curtis's photographs, not of the true authentic Indian. King's discussion of stories changed my perspectives when he mentioned that it is not only important that we tell stories, it is that we are composed of them. I found it interesting that he said that this is the reason that our perceptions of Native peoples are so readily accepted without much question. It's a story that everyone connects to, so it is taken as a given. I think that King does a good job of pointing this out, and it made me think about the stories in my life, specifically that ones that I tell myself, that may not be what is actually happening, much like the story with his father, but still help me deal with things.

When I first discovered that The Truth About Stories was not going to be a novel, I groaned a little inwardly. (After taking English 86 I feel a strong aversion to scholarly articles, literary criticism, etc.) However, I was pleasantly surprised by King's work, and I loved the colloquial writing style. (This could be chalked up to either having been originally written to be presented as an oral lecture, or his belief in and affection for oral litterature.) With regards to the parts of the book that specifically targeted Americans and their history and culture, I felt as though King offered a unique perspective. Having both lived in and outside of the US, his perceptions are validated by firsthand experience, but not skewed by lack of a strictly limited inside experience.
I think that a lot of these stories have staying power, but particularly his personal story about his friend with the adopted daughter with FASD. It was a really powerful depiction of of bystander's guilt, or the accountability and responsibility one takes on by ignoring, or maybe not ignoring, but not listening to a story when its told (King, 162).
King asserts that stories are dangerous, but further reading reveals that the danger lies waiting not only for the teller but the audience as well. When a story is told it's your job to to listen and decide on what to do with it, and its not always the Right Thing. "Do with it what you will...Just don't say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You've heard it now." (King, 167)

The quality that stuck out to me the most about Thomas King's The Truth About Stories is the tone of the narrative. He is very conversational and his writing style is very casual. He weaves the stories into the main points he is trying to get across in a way that allows the reader to pick up on it on his/her own without him having to actively explain it. All the stories that he tells is tied to the central theme in some way. For example, in the chapter "You're not the Indian I had in mind" he tells us of his journey to New Zealand, his roadtrip, and his first public speaking experiences to portray the imaginary image of the Indian that is perpetuated in society, the image of the dying noble savage.
King's oral and written syle is also very cyclical. The best example of this is the story of the turtle that he begins each lecture with. He uses this example every time to reflect the stagnant nature of stories even when certain details are changed. He also ends every lecture with a signature phrase. "Do with it what you will...Just don't say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. Yo've heard it now." With these techniques he begins and ends the circle.

Initially I found King’s book to be interesting and somewhat humorous. As it progressed, I unfortunately lost a little interest but definitely was intrigued by the ideas he proposed. The whole concept of what a story is and what they are attempting to do is something that I have never put much thought into. I have always liked stories – the imagination involved and the way in which as a reader or listener you can interpret it however you want – and I think that King does a good job of expanding on what makes stories so important and somewhat necessary. My favorite story within the book was the same as Matt’s. His recount of prom (an already awkward time in life) and his annoying and somewhat funny experience was a fun story to read. I couldn’t agree more with what Matt has said, that “Americans . . . are somewhat ignorant to even those that they see on a daily basis”. Americans are very ignorant. It is disappointing that as society and in general the world, progression has been made towards something so fascinating, yet we still manage to disapprove of people who may not look or act the same as we do. Although not my favorite story, the repetition of the turtle creation story is the one that will stick with me into the future. I found it to be creative and honestly, it made me smile. I guess I just agree with the uncertainty of how exactly the earth came to be the earth. This book slightly shaped my perspective of Native people and it definitely altered and heightened my ideas about stories. The appreciation King has for stories is quite refreshing. I really respect and admire the importance that Native people give to stories – something that general American society doesn’t do. He states after every account of the turtle story, “The truth about stories is that that’s all we are”, and I have come to agree with him. Everything we do, everything we say and everything we read are all stories. Our lives are made up of millions of stories.

I really enjoyed this book. The one major point I got out of the book was the idea that “stories is all we are”. This really made me think about myself, and situations in my life, and the stories I have told myself to explain them. It also made me think about how the stories I have been told, regarding everything from family, country, religion, etc. have shaped my perspective of the world. While vague, the greatest thing a book can do for me is to make me think in new ways.
While bits and pieces of each story have stuck in my head, what really stood out for me in the book was one line: “Why do we tell our children that life is hard, when we could tell them life is sweet?”. I have been told all of my life that “life is hard” and that “life isn’t fair”. This has caused me to view and approach the difficulties or challenges in my life with an oppositional mind set. By viewing life as a sort of battle, in which one must trudge on, through and against circumstances, does not bring about much pleasure. If life is described as “sweet” rather than “hard”, everything changes. With this perspective, one can view everything, pain included, as part of the delightful cornucopia of experiences life offers. As I interpret it, if the nature of life is sweet, then both sadness and joy can be pleasurable. Rather than seeing life as a burden with all of the sorrow and disappointment that accompanies it, things that must be grudgingly accepted, one can enjoy each aspect in and of itself, and take pleasure merely in the variety. The differences between the two viewpoints really drove home the way in which stories define our lives.

I truly enjoyed all of King's stories and the way he tells them. I love the structure of the book -how it teaches "The Truth About Stories" by the repetitions with minor changes. How often I think of my kids and grandkids saying "you're not telling it right!" if any part of the story was changed; when the fact is the stories always change!

The story that spoke to me was the comparison of the creation stories. As I was reading them, the Charm story seemed "make believe" while the Genesis story was familiar and seemed authentic. How clever of King to tell them that way, point out that he told them in that manner intentionally, and then ask the question "how different would our world be if we had learned a different story"? It was thought provoking and helped me to see the Native people's culture of cooperation and coordination. It has changed the perspective from which I am reading other stories as we continue.

This book was definitely really interesting and thought provoking. I think the main thing
I took away from this book is that stories shape our lives. Without them we would only be
the present and would not have answers to our questions. If they were to change, our
lives would change. The story that I think will stick with me the most would be the one about Charm. This Native version of creation juxtoposed with the Christian one is why I liked it so much. It served to emphasize that stories shape our lives. That the Christian creation story is filled with binaries serves as the basis of our beliefs. We only see good vs. evil. That God punished Adam and Eve for their sin is something that we live by while Charm (a female) worked together with nature to build land. The novel changed my view about stories as I never thought much of them before and now I realize the impact they have on our lives.

I think the way he put it together was very impressive, the repition certainly stresses the point that he is trying to make. I believe that his stories are eye openers and they make you think differently about native peoples. My favorite is when he discusses the old Native American man who had a small garden in his backyard. When he tells Mr. King about the hail storm destroying his tomatoes Mr. King feels sorry for him. Yet the old man does not ask for his pity or need it, he simply shrugs and says how he always needs ketchup. That type of quick wit, and ability to deal with unforseen problems shows a type of Native American I was unaware of, one who most certainly belongs in modern day society.

The story I've told myself about my mother is different now that I’ve read King's "The Truth About Stories." I always thought Mom was a ‘wannabe’ Indian. Not even government-approved racial reassignment could convince me otherwise. Let me describe her: My mother wears faux-leather moccasins with beads and long-fringed lace-up boots. My mother proudly displays a Métis bumper-sticker on her car, and her favorite necklace is a turquoise pendant. She goes to Pow Wows. She gave each of her children "Indian" names--I'm 'Wandering Turtle.' After I traveled to Utah and Colorado last May, I sent her a Navajo souvenir painting. I thought it was an ugly tourist treasure, but she cherished it. Despite my antagonism, I know she means well. My mother tells her Daycare children not to imitate Natives by saying 'how' or by patting their palms over their mouths to make a whooping sound. All this I knew I held in conflict with myself before I read King's book. King taught me to examine my thoughts about my mother in a different way. I realized that I was the one who needed an ethnic intervention. I held certain standards of what an Indian should be, and my mother did not measure up. Even though she has documentation that proves her heritage, she could not be even an ounce of Indian in my mind. This flaw of mine became clearer when I read King’s comments on the photographer Curtis. “Native culture, as with any culture, is a vibrant, changing thing, and when Curtis happened upon it, it was changing from what it had been to what it would become next. But the idea of “the Indian” was already fixed in time and space” (37). My mother is nothing like the Indians we learned about in school. She wasn’t even like my cousin, Little Bear, who I brought to school for Show and Tell. Little Bear could dance and sing. He had long black hair and ‘real’ Indian clothes. The story I told myself about my mother is that she was faking it. It was embarrassing to be seen with her in that awful fringed jacket and faux-moccasins. Now I see the resistance to her as MY flaw, which is even more embarrassing to admit than being seen with her in public. King writes that “[Natives] who were forcibly encouraged to give up their identities, now have children who are determined to be seen as Indians” (45). The new story I tell myself about my mother is that she is one of those “children” who attempt to recreate their Indian identities through traditional cultural artifacts. King was also one of those “children.” He confesses, “there was an almost irresistible pull to become what Gerald Vizenor calls a “cultural ritualist,” a kind of “pretend” Indian, an Indian who has to dress up like an Indian in order to be recognized as Indian” (45). Maybe my mother embraces her Indian heritage so much to convince me and others of what is not apparent. The truth is, I’ve always told myself that even if my mother might dress like an “Indian, [she] wasn’t an Indian” (44). She’s “not the Indian I had in mind.” Then again, I need to be more open-minded.

Great comments so far, everyone. Katie, I especially liked yours which illustrates very well how much we are affected by the stories we're told and tell ourselves and the ideas we have about "authenticity."

We've only heard from about 10 people so far, though. I'm looking forward to hearing the comments of everyone else....

I really enjoyed reading this novel, since it was a nice segue from the history that Paul provided us. As a classics student, many of my classes revolve around oral literature (especially poetry), and it was refreshing to read, and hear, about a different culture. Of all the stories, I think that the creation myth with Charm from the beginning of the novel sticks with me the most, most likely because I'm fascinated by different creation myths. I couldn't help comparing this Native story to the Finnish creation myth of Vainamoinen in particular--both myths revolve around a woman in the water, surrounded by a world that she is able to communicate with and help shape in some way.

I'm not sure if this book has changed my perspective about stories. Perhaps it's just enhanced my desire to keep traditions and stories like this alive, especially oral literature. It's important to hear about how another culture operates, believes, or explains things. It's also important to be entertained on some level, even if the basis or moral of the story isn't meant solely for that. As for my perspective on Native peoples, I feel that it's completely changed since I knew so little beforeheand about their culture or history. In U.S. history we learn an embarrassingly small amount about the Native history and the role that colonization played (and stills plays today). So it's wonderful to not only get some background on their culture and history, but to have that enhanced by great stories.

I really enjoyed The Truth About Stories. Not only was it funny and enjoyable to read, but I felt like I was learning a lot about the history of First Nations policy in Canada, while becoming more aware of issues surrounding First Nations people in Canada and the US. The story that I think will stay with me the longest is the comparaison between the native creation story and Genesis. While not a religious person per se, I am aware of the influence the story of Genesis has had on myself and the world. I really do wonder what our world would be like if this creation story had been based on understanding and love and cooperation rather than good vs evil. Another story that I really enjoyed and that I have been thinking about since finishing the book is the one entitled "What is it About Us That You Don't Like?" I think the story of the ducks and the coyote taking their feathers can be compared to so many present day situations. When I think about all of the people who are exploited by others in the interest of profits, I can't help but think about what coyote says to the ducks in response to their question, "Oh, they like you well enough. They just like your feathers better." I guess I also wonder how our world might be different if we didn't like people's 'feathers' more than we liked them.

This book has definitely changed my perspectives on Native peoples, I think just through a greater understanding of policies that have shaped their experience, and through reading stories of importance to them. I feel I have a greater understanding that stories such as the Native Creation story and the story about Coyote and the Ducks are not meaningless stories intended for children, but are full of depth and meaning. I'm very happy to have read this book.

I enjoyed reading The Truth About Stories. All of King's lectures were engaging and I really liked his prose. I think it helped listening to him speak in class, and then read the book, I felt I got a better feel for the stories when I had a specific voice in mind while reading them. I agree with most of what has been said already, and the thing that stood out to me the most was when King discusses the legislation in Canada that will gradually phaze out native peoples. I guess it just goes to show that something that looks and sounds fair on the surface, really isn't.

This book helped develop my understanding of Native peoples. I always have been one to know that the "noble savage" myth is not truthful, but I think what we ultimately learn is that the image of the noble savage and all other Indian stereotypes have become so ingrained in our society that it is hard for people really want to learn anything about native culture, because they think they already have a good idea of what it is through these stereotypes.

The chapter that I was most affected by in “The Truth About Stories” was chapter two and King’s discussion of authenticity. I was more critical, at least during class discussion, of the sense of what it means to be authentic and how that applies to the Native and images of the Native.
Certainly King and others are right to criticize the long history of misrepresentation of Native peoples by Non-Natives in America, especially in the 20th century with Hollywood’s portrayal of the Non-Native expansion in the west. Anyone these days with a little bit of education and any sense should be able to realize such representations are false.
As for the “dying Indian”, if I understand correctly King characterizes that symbol or idea as not having legitimacy because there are Indians that are still around (though admittedly whose lifestyles have changed), like himself. Here I was most critical of King’s perspective, or at least what seemed to me to be the class’s settled position on his perspective. I think it is completely fair to say that Indian lifestyle is “dying”. From what I have gathered so far, a large portion of people of Indian descent are not living on reservations. If there are less and less people carrying on tradition in the way that Indians did prior to colonialization how is it possible to say that the Indian isn’t dying? This speaks to the heart of my personal bent on the issue of authenticity. King’s episode at the conference where an Indian called him an “apple” was indeed an accurate reflection of what King had become. In my opinion to be authentic is directly related to the actions one takes in their day-to-day lives, and for King to live the way he has and relate as an “Indian” invalidates those Indians who were born on reservations, have lived there, and raise their children there. For King to have grown up in a conventional American setting, I think, makes him an American of Native descent, a professor of Indian (among others) literature, a speaker on the topic of Native history; but to call himself an “Indian” is inauthentic.
If I inaccurately interpreted either the chapter or class opinion on the matter I apologize, and would appreciate clarification.

My first experience as an undergrad at UVM was as a participant in Wilderness Trek, a program that takes incoming freshmen out backpacking, canoeing, climbing, and kayaking during the week before school begins. After registration everyone (about 200 “Trekies” and 40 leaders) and one of the upperclassmen tells a story about an imaginary tribe called the “Fugowi.” I went on to lead hiking and canoeing trips for Trek, and had the privilege during the past two falls to tell the story. Now, I will spare you the details of the story, and in all reality, it would be difficult for me to truly and effectively tell the story through typing on a blog. But there were several techniques that were passed onto me, which King writes about and, more importantly, uses.

I think that the best thing that King does, and affects the reader/listener on many different levels, is the use of repetition. Part of the story about the beginning of the world on the back of the turtle is retold at the beginning of each chapter. By doing this, King is able to really drive home the story into our memories. This tradition is tremendously important in oral story telling, for in order to remember the details, we are unable to go back and re-read certain parts. In the telling of the “Fugowi,” the details and characteristics are retold each time a new one is added…a bit repetitive and over the top at times, but equally entertaining and helpful to the listener.

Again regarding the retelling of the beginning of the world on the back of the turtle, King tells the story and the circumstances surrounding the story a bit differently each time. This method, along with it’s repetition, help King with the meta-story that runs throughout this book, and that is “the truth about is stories is that that’s all we are.” His stories throughout the narrative are an example of this, but are also ever changing. If King were to sit down and write this book again, I believe that most of the stories would be changed slightly, keeping true with this idea of oral tradition. And if someone were to re-write/tell King’s narrative, they would add and change parts emphasizing ideas and values that they find important. When I took the “Fugowi” story and made it my own, I practiced and retold it everyday on a bus ride back from working as a white water raft guide during the summer leading up to Trek. I added and deleted parts of the story based on who our customers, my audience, were that day. When I returned to school, and told the story in front of the Trekies, some of the leaders commented that that’s not the way it goes. I responded, “Well how does it go?” Because the truth about stories…

The first chapter in The Truth About Stories brought me back to elementary school, where we had a unit about the native people and thier myths. At one point we had to write our own myth that described why something is the way it is (why there are stars, why horses have four legs etc.). I remember how easy these stories were to understand by encorperating animals, and how much it interested me in attempting to discover the meaning behind why the world is the way it is. I am still partial to creation stories like "The Woman who fell from the sky" because of it. But my favorite part of the unit by far, was when a story teller came into our classroom and shared some of her stories. Beyond just reading the stories for ourselves, this woman put into words, several special myths, and it is her stories that stick in my mind today.
Like her, it was great to hear King read excerpts from his book. Not only do we get to hear the way in which he meant it to be read, but we can also hear his voice in the words he wrote, and in the stories that are so important to him.

My favorite part of The Truth About Stories is the way in which King ends every chapter by saying “You’ve heard it now.” This was impressive to me because he engages his readers so powerfully with these words. He forces everyone to reexamine the way they approach what they read or hear.

King’s writing style is concise and direct. He addresses his reader as he would address one of his peers. His style was so impressive to me because he imitated oral tradition. At moments in the book I found myself so engaged in his words that I felt like I should respond to him. He creates and examines the relationship between reader and writer that is so important in the oral tradition.

This book was a real eye-opener for me. Sure, I knew that Native Americans have been severely oppressed in history and today, but I had never read it in such a personal, descriptive manner. Reading his stories gave me the sense that we are all defined by our race, our religion, ethnicity, etc, so much so that it is hard to find who we truly are.

The chapter "You're Not the Indian I Had in Mind" (i think is the title..) had a few stories that stuck out to me - especially when he was on the boat and someone mistaked him for an "Indian" (from India) rather than a Native American. It is a common misconception and plenty of people still call them that, even though it's not what they actually are. I know that I've often made the same mistake.

My favorite story was the story of the ducks and the coyote. It made clear to me just how the Native American is so dominated by the American/white culture, and depicted it in such a simplistic, child-like way. It was an easy read and would make sense to most anyone; young children could probably more or less figure out the metaphor as well... that they (the ducks/N.A's) have literally been stripped down of their culture so much that there is barely any real part of it left. They either became Americanized or at least were made "entertaining" for the whites-i.e. made into the stereotypical idea of an "indian." I thought the feather part was clever, since it's also such a generalization for Native Americans to have feathers (like the ducks).

I never read about their struggles in such a raw, vivid form, so I am glad I got to read this. I learned a lot from it and I'm sure that some of these stories will stick with me, just as he says.

I feel that King did a great job combining some important Native American history along with the stories throughout the book. I found I was more attentive to each fact this way, rather than if they were all clumped together. King's writing really does have a feeling of a story being told in person, especially after having seen him talk in his lecture. For example, when i first came to the second chapter, i thought there was some mistake because it started almost identically to the first. As the book went on however, i looked forward the repetitivness to bring closure to each individual section.

I really enjoyed the story about deer culling in New Zealand. I found it interesting how many places King has been too, and how diverse his life has been. It was almost funny when the other culler, Paul, was alittle upset that King did not know all the particulars about tracking and killing deer, simply because he was an "Indian". This really shows how deep a stereotype goes, yet King brushes it off without a problem.

The Truth about stories...well, where do I start. Hmm, kinda funny because I'm telling what I think the truth is about The truth about stories. Funny in my mind. anyway. I thought that the book was really cool, I know that I've reiterated this in many classes but the stories that he tells actualy tell him and that's what he's saying about his book in the first place, That the stories we have tell us. And this is true. Everyone has a story to tell, and every single one is different. The one thing I don't like parts thats are racially charged.Now, don't get me wrong here. When I say this. I feel that I have been victim of racism, and I do know that being white and male helps in a lot of ways. But just like the stories everyone has problems in their stories and there are plenty of stories written and told by people that are not white that do not talk about issues of racism or race in a story. But, then again, that was not the focus of the book. Forgive me, I digress.

Anyway, I liked the book and the way that the author tried to make the story have his voice come through to you as a listener of a orally told story. I also liked the way that the book made me laugh out loud, when he talked about the lady that told him that he shouldn't make things up to tell a historical story when the only thing he made up was the Coyote creating Columbus, that was laugh out loud funny.

Also my last and final idea was about the whole book of every chapter basically starting and ending at the same way. Like he says in the begging, maybe the story was just changed a little and maybe, and I like to think so, the stories where, effectly, the same one.
I love it when people tell good stories. A couple of my friends are really good story tellers. And even though some of them lie...(well I won't say lie... I'll be nice and say embelish) about a story, I don't care because even if my friend got chased by five or six police cars that night by his account and I know that it was just one cop car that was going up and down hills in the road because I was in the back seat, I don't care becuause the stories they tell are great...whether the stories themselves are true or not

P.S. In case everyone didn't know
Radiohead is better than many things

Eric

I really enjoyed reading King's book, The Truth about Stories. I had listened to the audio version of the book before, and remembered many of the humorous stories, but reading it gave me a lot more knowledge about the history of First Nations people in Canada. I liked the format of the book and the way in which King mixes personal stories and humor, while informing the reader. The book is very light and an easy read, so the reader doesn't even have time to realize all the information about First Nations that they're absorbing. A lot of times in a type of bubble environment like college, young people can forget about racism because they don't experience it first time. This book was a good reminder that racism is not only in the past as King notes many instances of bias that he experienced.

Two stories stories in particular stuck with me. The first was the story about the newspaper article written about his radio show in which King is stereotyped as the "urban indian." This is a good example of people who are ignorant and place judgement on cultures or heritage they know nothing about. It illustrates King's argument that white people only accept the idea of the 'noble savage indian' and are unwilling to accept people of First Nations descent who do not fit that typical mold.

The second story was one I had not heard before, located in the Afterword. I liked the way King segregated it from the rest of the book, and bluntly stated that this particular story had no happy ending. It was a good way to end the book thematically, because it correlated with King's belief that there isn't any happy ending for First Nations people; It's an ongoing struggle.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found King's stories intriguing and interesting. I especially enjoyed the creation story comparison. I found the idea that our (WHITE) culture is built upon such a harsh model of human creation to be a very interesting way to look at our societies major problems.
I also really enjoyed how open King was with his families history, his life and his experiences. It made me more able to feel with him, rather than just reading his stories from the outside.
I also found it very enlightening to think of stories as life. Because truly our history, our stories, the things that make our families, that bring friends together, it's all just a bunch of stories wound together.
I really liked the idea of the teller owning the story to some extent. The idea holds true through all of life. My story of the exact same event, say 911, is very different than your story, or his story. It is through my eyes, through my beliefs (or lack there of), through my experiences.
I found the book to be very eye opening, and rather enlightening.

My favorite story from The Truth About Stories by Thomas King is the one that illustrates the fact that King spent part of his growing up in a neighborhood where Mexicans lived. In this section of the book King highlights the fact that racism is both ignorant and ironic. For example, he noted that he was himself racist toward the Mexicans he lived near. King noted that it was humorous, I call it ironic, that when he “was looking at Mexicans, other people, as it turned out, were looking at” him(39). For me this story impressed upon me the ability to be aware of not only racism but judgements. Neither the Mexicans or King were of a lesser race but because of the way they viewed each other, judgements were formed about both races. Overall I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the way King intertwines stories with commentary. From beginning to end readers know that stories are both powerful and revealing. I think my favorite thing about this book of stories is the fact that what is learned or absorbed most by the reader after the completion of the book is both personal and case specific for each and every reader.

The Truth About Stories was an excellent read. It is not the type of book I would necessarily pick out to read on my own, so I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it for this class. King kept my attention using techniques such as repition, beginning and ending each chapter the same. It was also interesting how although each chapter related to either his own personal experiences or the way other Natives are perceived or treated by whites, each chapter was very different from the next. It was also eye opening to see the way that authenticity is constructed, and it made me rethink the way in which I perceive different groups, making me rethink generalizations and unintentional sterotypes I myself my make.

I really appreciate the way King takes storytelling into his own hands, and writes his own rules...

His starting and ending of chapters the same way, but the filling in of different stories in between these intro and outros, does a couple interesting things, through my eyes at least; 1)it puts the stories themselves that he is telling in perspective; each as its own, and yet, each still just one of many stories...and 2) it also serves the purpose of emphasizing the larger point that all stories are important.

King's ultimate message is strong; "The truth about stories is that that's all we are"...the simplicity of this statement can be misleading...but as King displays very clearly, this truth can be one of the most complex of all.

Again, I really did enjoy King's writing; but more importantly, the depth of his message; this guy's no joke...I'm really glad to have learned of his work.

I thought The Truth About Stories was an enlightening and engaging read. Having listened to some of the lectures for one of Paul’s courses last semester, I couldn’t help but not keep Thomas King’s voice out of my head as I read the stories silently, I think this is a testament to the oral tradition which he is trying to embody in his stories. The conversational tone and the way that the stories intertwined was most interesting, at it was able to keep my attention rather easily. There were two stories which resonated within me the most, the creation story comparison and the private story in the epilogue. The creation story caught me off guard, for it was different from the creation stories I was accustom to, and acted as an excellent segue into the topic of native peoples (which like the creation story, is seen by many as backwards or different). I love how effortlessly King guides the subject into the idea what a true Indian should be, talking about Curtis’ journey into depicting the “noble savage.” It is the end of the novel which speaks volumes to me, with King retelling his private story (one which he says he won’t tell in public, but still has an oral feel to it) and the haunting quote towards the end that “would it have made a difference? This is the question we always ask after we have given up.” I think this quote ties in with the phrase King writes at the end of each section that “Just don’t say you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You’ve heard it now.” This is King at his finest, attempting to make a difference through not only his words, but also the reader’s own thoughts. Finally, I like how that King believes that the stories that he tells are just as much the reader’s as they are his, that one who listens is just as responsible for the story as one who does the telling. I suppose this could be seen as a metaphor for the crusade for First Nation’s rights, they can do all the talking, but without anyone else listening (or legislating for that matter) their stories (and pleas) will fall on deaf ears.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. One thing i've learned about much of Native writing is how different they tell the actual story and by this i mean through their use of repetion and telling stories in a "cycle" as we discussed in class. There were many other aspects of the book that i enjoyed also but i will just name a few. I found the concept the author put forth about how stories become private when one reads them but reamin public when oral but it's certainly an apt observation because stories or songs or poems or whatever can mean something very different depending on who reads, when they read, what is going on with them and so on. I also really liked the part about images of Indians. The image is used everywhere and i don't think i really thought about it very hard untill i was basically forced to for this class. What the majority of people see as the ideal image of someone or thing is typically the one that sticks to public conciousness so it really prompts one to think that we as a people need to be more aware of this. All in all, i liked this book and amd glad i read it.

I really liked the book. It progressed while reiterating important themes, like the importance of stories themselves but also the importance of who tells the story. I felt that Thomas King did an excellent job of being entertaining and accessible through his stories but also informative. I have never thought about the problem presented with actually being Native American and the association or lack of with looking or acting what appears to be Native American, as well as the stereotypes/legislation imposed upon Native Americans.
I really enjoyed how each chapter began the same way with slight variations. I feel like it built a rapport, relationship and familiarity between author and audience. Each time I began a new chapter, I smiled because it was now a story I recognized and had affiliations to. It stressed the importance of how we are composed of stories and we may do with them what we like but never say that we would behave differently had we not heard them (I do not have the book with me to quote the passage but you know what I am talking about). I think that is an important message.

I was spoiled in the fact that I got to listen to King tell his stories before I read them. I'd have to say that although I enjoyed his stories, they are better outloud. In the end, he talks about how when a person writes down a story; it becomes private. I know these were lectures that he gave that were written down, but they did lose something. When you hear a story, its public for everyone to hear. However, when it was written down, I completely forgot that he had once spoken to a giant crowd. What he says about the difference between oral and written stories makes complete sense to me and has opened up a new level of understanding. I never thought of stories being shared or held back in this respect.

King speaks a lot about something I cannot personally relate to. I'm white through and through and the only people I know today that have Native American ancestry have such a small amount that one day it's going to just dissappear. I appreciate the view though. I appreciate that King could open up and share his story, outloud, for everyone to hear. It takes the story to a personal level. He could be lying for all I know, but its personal and its some form of connection.

I loved the side-by-side creation stories in the opening chapter, and I thought that those raised a lot of really interesting questions about western sensibilities. A misunderstanding of where natives are coming from, as far as the very roots of their culture, is really where most non-natives go wrong in trying to understand native values. One really cannot try to understand native culture with the foundation of western values as a starting point; it's necessary to discard pre-conceived notions and start over.

After the first chapter, I thought the pace definitely slowed as King turned more toward cultural analysis, but it certainly had a lot of information that was good to know. It was most definately worth reading, but King never really recaptured the tone of the opening chapter.

I definitely agree with Chinh’s comment that Thomas King’s The Truth About Stories is very conversational, only making it that much more interesting. I felt like he was writing down the exact thoughts running through his head, thoughts that a lot of literature neglects. I enjoyed King’s humor more so in the beginning, basically until I felt a tad bit offended by the targeting of Christians. I guess I just was bothered by the general vibe that I felt from King regarding native balance versus Christian extremes. I think that is a very pessimistic way to interpret Christianity and you can’t generalize that notion to every Christian.

Despite this, I really liked the way King put his argument about “You’re Not the Indian I Had in Mind” in perspective. The one part of the book that will definitely stick with me is without a doubt the long paragraph on page 54, listing all the everyday things that portray Native Americans in the light that King argues is detrimental to their culture. Out of the probably thirty people, places, objects, etc. that were listed, a few stuck out in my mind. Granted Land O’ Lakes butter might’ve stuck with me because I am mildly obsessed with it; I also realized that I had never given the Native America man on the tub a second thought. The other aspect mentioned that has only added to the Indian who “has to exist in our imaginations” (King 54), that struck me, was Pocahontas. That is probably my favorite Disney movie, and the way that Native life was portrayed truly did form my idea of what was what I thought to be “‘authentic’” (King 54).

Even though I am fully aware that “we can’t judge the past by the standards of the present?” (King 77), therefore relinquishing any blame that would be placed on me because of what my ancestors had done, I have taken another good lesson away from reading King’s novel that I don’t live by as much as I should. That is to step out of my own shoes!

The whole time I was reading this book I was trying to identify what it was that made it so readable. In the first chapter King discusses the nature of stories and establishes his voice as a writer/storyteller, a voice that can be droll, informative, and empathy-evoking. King's voice and therefore his stories have an extremely high level of familiarity and readability. King has a good heart and a good head on his shoulders and it's made pretty obvious right from the get-go.

My favorite line is the part of the story about asking Karen to the prom, saying that he felt he had a shot at dating her despite his being poor and with acne because while she was rich she also had a heart condition. "I figured that being well off with a heart defect was pretty much the same as being poor with pimples". He then goes on to mention how Karen's father wouldn't let her go to the prom with Tom because Tom was "Mexican". It's nice to read from an author who can be whimsical while describing an event that was clearly ridiculously ignorant and offensive.

The Truth About stories is definitely a good book. Though the lengthy sections of history and information that make up the "lecture" portion of the book weren't precisely thrilling to read, they are one of the book's most important aspects. It's crucial to understand the history of the way people of first nations have been legally treated. However, I think the part of the book that will remain with me the most is the personal stories section at the end. It makes you realize the stories from your own past which make up so much of who you are, and that the most important ones are the ones you cannot tell. King was exceptionally bold in including that story. I could tell the story of the time a clementine miraculously saved me from smashing my jaw on the ground (it's a good one) a million times, but the ones that mean the most, that affect me the most intensely, are the ones I couldn't ever tell anyone.

I am so happy that this blog exists and that I accidently found it. I am a social work student in Memorial University in Newfoundland. I was also assigned to read this novel for a course and have consequently been enlightened! So much to the point I've been trying to see if the book had as much of an impact on others as it did on me. I am delighted to know that it has. I wanted to make a suggestion for any class that would like to partake in a little "Make a difference" project, sort of a social action if you will: I would like to encourage anyone who owns this book to nicely gift wrap it and send it to your local government offices with a small personalized note to tell the person why you think they should read it. It would probably be a good idea to do it as a class so that no gov't official gets the book twice! I plan to ask my class to send ours to the prime minister and all the other higher level government leaders in Newfoundland's Confederation Building. I hope that maybe one more person might read it. I hope that they at least hear the story and do whatever they want with it. As long as they can never say that they hadn't known.

King's "The Truth About Stories" was a very powerful book for me. Its structure was a refreshing change in the way we read books, harkening back to a more story-telling, oral culture motif, making it very accessible.
For me, the most interesting story, as well as the one that stuck with me the most, was the story of Ishi. Found in a land thought to be free of "the native problem", the man was seemingly bound to share the fate of his brethren. Ironically found nearly dead at the back of a butcher shop, the town was left puzzled at what to do about this "wild man". Much the way native culture has been able to survive, Ishi, as the town referred to him, didn't die in the back of that butcher shop, despite quite literally having nothing and nobody to turn to. To me, this story seemed a microcosm of native experience, not just in America, but definitely in Canada as well. The way the story paralleled native experience was striking and powerful in the conversation-like way in which it was told. Although told quite differently than the narrative structure of "Ravensong", it nonetheless carried equal, if not more emotional impact.
I agree also with the previous blogger's thought of sending the book in the Canadian government's direction. It is a book everyone should read, especially those making important, culturally impacting decisions.

The part of the book that really hit me the most was the story about the Edward Curtis photographs. Not only have I seen these photographs but they had a huge impact upon the way that I see art as a way of portraying people in a certain light. There is no way for anyone outside of the Native culture to ever truly understand what it is. We are seeing everything through lens that filters, distorts, abstracts, and deletes the truth or parts of the truth. Throughout my youth I was faced with depictions of Indians as these subservient friends of the "white man" what I didn't was the death and devastation that the white man brought to the natives. When have we ever heard about the residential schools in Canada. The atrocity of removing one's native culture by force. The eradication of language, tradition, and a way of life that could be a source of knowledge and wisdom in today's society. The way stories change us is fantastic. Reading different creation myths gives us the perspective that there isn't just "Adam and Eve" there isn't just the Bible. And you know...maybe the bible is wrong. Maybe the native stories are wrong. We may never know. But it makes us question what we take for granted and that is very important. That may be the most important thing that we can pull out of native stories that put into question the prominence of books like the Bible.

This book did not keep me on the edge of my seat flipping through pages. I admit it was somewhat of a chore to read, perhaps just because the writing style didn't draw me in. At the same time it did have its redeeming values. It was a very brief book which helped get through it, and I am glad that I did push myself on through. In under 200 pages Thomas King confronts us on our societies earliest acts of injustice and how its effects ripple through to this very day. Its a subject that seems to be a secret to no one. Who doesn't know that we obliterated the Indian way of life in order to claim land and supplies? Yet no one bothers to hear the voice of the Native people. We have more or less accepted the fact that we have, to put it bluntly, screwed them over. I found the chapter “Your Not the Indian I Had in Mind” to be very interesting. King criticizes people who believe his people are still the stereotypical headdress wearing, tepee living, dying Indian. Later he realizes the dilemma that in order for everyday people to recognize Indians as Indians, they need to recognize these stereotypical traits. This puts them in a tough spot as they run the risk of racism if they wish to be identified with this label. This just goes to show how much the Indian way of life continues to be running the risk of extinction. Now days it seems that Indians have the choice of living the hard life on the reservations, or selling out their people by leaving and trying to assimilate themselves into the “white mans” world.

In reading The Truth About Stories, I found the interplay between historical accounts, current events and mythical stories very interesting. King's ability to recount past atrocities and comment on their lingering effects in a satirical and creative manner not only made the book enjoyable to read but also made many of the issues emotionally accessable to a reader who has not been directly affected by them. In my three semesters here at UVM, issues regarding Native peoples have come up frequently in my classes and I have found that different groups of people tend to slant the image of the native to suit their best interests. The section "You're Not the Indian I Had in Mind" really made me think about the long-term, hard hitting effects of these slanted images created through stories. Stories are never just stories. I was reminded of a story about the Bushmen in southern Africa who were given "aid" (by the government) in their times of extreme poverty and hunger. This aid was in the form of shipments of huge herds of non-native elephants, because, you know, you think of African natives and you think of a safari with giraffes and elephants and all that. Well the elephants knocked down all of the Bushmen's water towers leaving their fields barren and their people starving and dehydrated. But, hey, tourism went up so I guess all is well. I would like to believe that people should generally understand that a human being is a human being, and we all have the same basic needs, but unfortunately, this is untrue as so many groups are dehumanized and turned into commodity. Reinforced by the story of Coyote and the ducks, the concept of the capitalization of people left me hugely disgusted. And, if nothing else, reading literature based in Canada has made me think about the vast nature of these issues. It's not just the Native Americans most kids will learn about in grade school; the pain and hardship destroying the lives of indigenous groups reaches the ends of the earth, and, in the eyes of many groups of victims, into the cosmos.

In reading The Truth About Stories, I found the interplay between historical accounts, current events and mythical stories very interesting. King's ability to recount past atrocities and comment on their lingering effects in a satirical and creative manner not only made the book enjoyable to read but also made many of the issues emotionally accessable to a reader who has not been directly affected by them. In my three semesters here at UVM, issues regarding Native peoples have come up frequently in my classes and I have found that different groups of people tend to slant the image of the native to suit their best interests. The section "You're Not the Indian I Had in Mind" really made me think about the long-term, hard hitting effects of these slanted images created through stories. Stories are never just stories. I was reminded of a story about the Bushmen in southern Africa who were given "aid" (by the government) in their times of extreme poverty and hunger. This aid was in the form of shipments of huge herds of non-native elephants, because, you know, you think of African natives and you think of a safari with giraffes and elephants and all that. Well the elephants knocked down all of the Bushmen's water towers leaving their fields barren and their people starving and dehydrated. But, hey, tourism went up so I guess all is well. I would like to believe that people should generally understand that a human being is a human being, and we all have the same basic needs, but unfortunately, this is untrue as so many groups are dehumanized and turned into commodity. Reinforced by the story of Coyote and the ducks, the concept of the capitalization of people left me hugely disgusted. And, if nothing else, reading literature based in Canada has made me think about the vast nature of these issues. It's not just the Native Americans most kids will learn about in grade school; the pain and hardship destroying the lives of indigenous groups reaches the ends of the earth, and, in the eyes of many groups of victims, into the cosmos.

To me, this book was not that interesting. I enjoyed some parts of it, but I would have to agree with one of my classmates who said that the beginning and the end were really strong while the middle kind of lost me. Although I believe this, the story that will stay with me the most is the one where Thomas King is put on a panel of Native American experts and is not paid because he is not an "expert" like the rest of the guests. This was astonishing as he was the only actual Native amongst the crowd. This goes hand in hand with the rest of that chapter as he gets lost between being a published author and a true Native. He is ridiculed by those who see him as a Native who are not Native as well as by those who are Native and see him as a traitor, an "apple," red on the outside and white on the inside. This book has changed the way I feel and think about stories in that it points out that stories are what shape our lives. They are the "truths" we believe in and follow so closely. I like the part about Charm and Adam and Eve. If our creation story had ended a different way, our society would act differently, and perhaps be a little bit more civil and less war-happy.

I think that what made this book appealing to me was, like many people have said, the fact that King uses such a familiar approach with his audience. Sometimes while reading I felt as though I was listening to a casual recount of a day's events (although his stories held a tremendous amount of meaning and purpose). I think that this style of writing makes it at once accessible to all readers, while still maintaining the authenticity of the oral tradition. The reader can appreciate the story at face value in terms of their entertainment, while also gaining an understanding of the importance to their culture. Overall, I really enjoyed the book.

I really like this book because it has a real conversational tone. I like this because it's easy to read, it has humor, anecdotes and it asks the reader questions. My favorite story was probably the creation story in the very beginning. I'm not a very religious person, so I found it comical to say that something as arbitrary as an infinite stack of turtles is whats holding the world in place, and that humans were born from a woman falling out of the sky, and having two children: one very productive, and one very distructive. I laugh and i agree, sure! Lets just say that things happen this way! I has a very light tone to it and it also emphasized the importance of the story in truth, in falicy, most also stories are used to prove the point that some things in the past just dont matter, so why not make up something that entertains you?

I think this book really does tell the truth about stories and how from one time to the next they can be told differently due to the fact that people change the story and sometimes forgot the entire thing. I've never been told a story like the ones that we've read in this book so i dont know i would tell one that ive just learned. But i remember playing the game "telephone" when i was younger. Where somebody makes up a story and then tells it too the next person and so on until it comes back to the person who created it. It usually never comes back the same due to people messing up what was told to them.

Looking back on The Truth About Stories at the end of the semester, its value has only increased in my estimation. I am extremely glad that it was the first thing we read and feel that it really shaped our semester to an extent that we didn't touch on in class discussions. The importance of King's idea of the "imaginary Indian" was evident in most every novel we read, if not in an obvious way, because I think the course really forced us as readers to confront our own idea of the "imaginary Indian." I don't mean to imply that we are all racist/ethnocentrist/etc, but only want to point on that on the whole, Americans tend not to know much about the conditions of First Nations people in Canada (and I include myself in that category) and so had a limited view of the realities of Native life and the literature it produces. King points this out very artfully throughout the different lectures in the Truth About Stories, and was very helpful for me in having some kind of grounding for dealing with the novels we read subsequently.

It's interesting how so much of our culture and identities are carried through the stories we tell oursleves, and the ones we are taught by the society and culture we grow up in. And how easy, in the most subtle and insidious way, it is to control people by changing their stories, or erasing/prohibiting their stories, particularly as generations go on.

My favorite part of The Truth was the way King ends every chapter by saying “You’ve heard it now.” King's insight into the reader's mind never ceases to amaze me. Breathtaking.