About The Author
Ross is the author of two books, Don’t Know Much About Indians (but I wrote a book about us anyways) (2011) and How to Say I Love You in Indian (2014). “I come from a family of storytellers. My family tells long stories, drinking coffee and blowing smoke in your face. It just fit for me to tell stories, and then I started writing them.”?? Ross writes for the Huffington Post, Indian Country Today, Deadspin and Gawker. His article, “Is there a Problem? Racism, White Privilege and that ‘Scary’ Brown Man” recently went viral.
REVIEWS: How To Say I Love You In Indian
family, romance, and mentors
A thorough look at love in an indigenous, modern context, Gyasi Ross gives a mix of thoughts on the manners and means of expressing familial, platonic, and romantic love. What he has to say is a keen, interpersonal, and introspective look at one of the most humanizing experiences, one that can be taken for granted. This book is worth picking up for any reader, as any one of his stories will help anyone re-imagine stories of family, romance, and mentors.
A book about love, with love
Another great book by Gyasi Ross. It’s about love, the many forms of love that give sense to our life. He talks about the deep, unforgiving, sweet, desperate love he grew up with - a song for the Native American women that keep their communities together. But, being a woman, I hear a song about all women around the world, about that thread that ties us all together, along with our female ancestors and our daughters: being a mother.
This book gave me a glimpse of the life on the reservations, made me cry, made me smile, taught me things about me and my fellow human beings. It feels good to have yet another proof that we are all brothers and sisters.
Funny and Enjoyable
A very nice story about a real life person coping in today’s world. Has a positive note and is inspirational.
I've enjoyed reading about Indian Love in how males and females
I’ve enjoyed reading about Indian Love in how males and females relate to one another. In my own heritage which; also includes Native American blood; as well as African-American. I found a close connection to the author and his subjects. I will continue to look out for any additional books by Gyasi Ross.
REVIEWS: I Don’t Know Much About Indians
Heart-wrenching, heart-warming, tragic and magic
I fell in love with this book with the introduction and the rest of the book lived up to the high standard it set. As the author says about his book, “It is decidedly not ‘important.’ At times it acts like it addresses some larger and more important issues, but that is a mere mirage, a facade. No this book is completely fantastical and not scholarly.” The author also says in his introduction, “I did not study for this book. I do not research Indian people. I rarely read about Indian people. … I do not pretend to be an expert on Indian people. I do not want to be an expert on Indian people. Heck, sometimes I do not even like Indian people. Sometimes I cannot stand Indian people. But I love Indian people. I adore Indian people. My family and friends are Indian people … I have a dysfunctional love affair with Indian people. On one hand, in my love affair with Indian people, we consistently do bizarre and self-destructive stuff that breaks my freakin heart into a million pieces. Then, on the other hand, Indian people (and primarily Indian women) will mend my heart back up using bungee cords, spit, and electrical tape and show Indian’s people amazing capacity to love and care and grow and succeed and accomplish whatever we want to accomplish.” If this language sings to you as it sings to me, buy this book, read this book, love this book.
Lovin' it
I haven’t been able to really stop reading it. I keep putting it down to get things done but then I go back to it and pick it up and read some more. I see myself, my family, my friends in these stories and poems, “the good, the bad, and the ugly” but I also see the hope and beauty. It’s an important book even if the author doesn’t know it yet, maybe only important to modern Natives. If you have time give it a read, it will make memories pop to the surface at some points, anger you, tug at your heart, and make you laugh and make you want to cry.
LOVE this book
I would recommend this book to any native and actually to non natives also for a glimpse into what it means to be a native, and live a native life as well as being native and living off the rez.. Gyasi hooks you right in to each story and you dont want to stop reading. Awesome book! Hope he writes more books very soon.