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Book Cover for: The Dreamcatcher in the Wry, Tiffany Midge

The Dreamcatcher in the Wry

Tiffany Midge

The Dreamcatcher in the Wry, Tiffany Midge's bitingly hilarious collection of essays written during the COVID-19 pandemic, builds on the critical acclaim of her earlier book Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's. A Standing Rock Sioux citizen, Midge offers up her unique satire about the foibles of politics, consumerism, world affairs, pandemic anxieties, and other subjects from the pandemic years of 2020 through 2023.

The Dreamcatcher in the Wry brims with insight, considering pig heart transplants, wedding-crashing grizzly bears, truffle-snuffling dogs, bison-petting tourists--and a plethora of other animal and wildlife hijinks--not to mention wienermobiles, the controversial Mount Rushmore, meeting Iron Eyes Cody in a parade, Elizabeth Warren's quaint family lore, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Midge brilliantly unpacks her observations and day-to-day concerns through the lens of an urban-raised Lakota living in the West, a writer of poetry, op-eds, church bulletins, fridge magnets, and Twitter posts who is allergic to horses and most outdoor recreation--except for berry picking and the occasional romp through a dewy meadow.

Turning over the colonizer's society and culture for some good old Native American roasting, Midge informs as she entertains, gleaning wisdom from the incongruities of daily life with a much-needed dose of Indigenous common sense.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Bison Books
  • Publish Date: Dec 1st, 2024
  • Pages: 232
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.05in - 6.38in - 0.97in - 1.11lb
  • EAN: 9781496240149
  • Categories: Form - EssaysWomen

About the Author

Tiffany Midge is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and was raised by wolves in the Pacific Northwest. She is a columnist for High Country News and formerly Indian Country Today. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the Brooklyn Rail, McSweeney's, and more. She is the author of Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's (Bison Books, 2019) and the poetry collection Horns. Midge aspires to be the Distinguished Writer in Residence for Seattle's Space Needle and considers her contribution to humanity to be her sparkly personality. Devon A. Mihesuah is the Cora Lee Beers Price Professor at the University of Kansas. She is the author of numerous award-winning books, including Recovering Our Ancestors' Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness (Bison Books, 2020).

Praise for this book

"What's black and white and read all over? The Dreamcatcher in the Wry should be. In the tradition of Alexander Posey, Alice Walker, Vine Deloria Jr., and other astute literary and social commentators, Tiffany Midge responds to life's synchronicities and idiosyncrasies--trends, obsessions, observations, and life in quarantine--with her acute and original humor, wit, and trademark style."--Chip Livingston, author of Saints of the Republic and Crow-Blue, Crow-Black
"If you don't have a friend who can riff on the joys and absurdities of life, you need this book. Tiffany Midge is a great companion, full of wit and insight, ranging in topics from Native American history to contemporary politics to can openers, and never taking herself too seriously. If you're lucky enough to have a friend like that, then you're going to need two copies, because your friend is gonna want one too."--Beth Piatote, author of The Beadworkers: Stories
"Tiffany Midge gets it. She's a humorist with style, the Dorothy Parker of Indian Country. Blessed with a keen eye and a sharp bite, she swats at the inanities buzzing where Native culture and mainstream collide. Funny and irreverent, The Dreamcatcher in the Wry is all melody and syncopated rhythms, and Tiffany Midge can dance. Come join the party."--Gordon Lee Johnson (Cahuilla/Cupeño), author of Bird Songs Don't Lie and Rez Dogs Eat Beans
"Tiffany Midge's short takes on life as an Indigenous woman are funny and witty from the title on. She sees humor and irony everywhere she looks and is always aware of history. She finds 'satire to be much more fulfilling than inspirational messaging' and is clear-eyed about the state of the world, including how much U.S. colonialism resembles Russia's war on Ukraine. She knows who her grandmother would be praying for. The Dreamcatcher in the Wry generously invites us to join her in laughing and facing facts in equal measure, often together."--Molly Fisk, author of Everything but the Kitchen Skunk: Ongoing Observations from a Working Poet
"This irreverent memoir-in-essays from poet and satirist Midge (Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's), a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, begins with mild musings on everyday frustrations before crescendoing into resonant commentary on colonialism and cultural appropriation. . . . Readers will be dazzled by Midge's abrasive wit."--Publishers Weekly-- (9/19/2024 12:00:00 AM)
"Readers familiar with Midge, fans of books like Samantha Irby's Wow, No Thank You (2020), and those interested in internet-oriented humor writers will appreciate Midge's insights."--Zeja Z. Copes, Booklist-- (11/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)