In 1997, Sherman Alexie had just been named one of America's "Best Young Novelists" by GRANTA Magazine and had won the American Book Award. Alexie's work resonates with the collision between white and Native American cultures and while his subjects are serious, Alexie himself is often scathingly funny. In his work Indian Killer, Alexie creates a rich, panoramic portrayal of contemporary Seattle using a mystery story to tell some uncomfortable truths about Indian-white relations and racism in all its forms. A member of the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene tribe, Alexie lives in Seattle, Washington.

This program was presented as part of the 1997 series of Racing Toward the Millennium: Voices from the American West.