Memoir of a Reluctant Shaman (A Story of Native American Magical Realism)

From the NY Times and USA Today Best Selling Author Ty Nolan (

“My grandmother's song would make her wooden dolls dance without strings, something I have sought to do in my own relationships without much success. Perhaps my song is not strong enough, or perhaps I would be better off with stiffer relationships than the blood and bone-based lovers I've chosen--or that have chosen me.

Living in cities that are so bright they blot out the stars at night, my lovers have had skin washed pale as fish bellies back home, and I have never quite figured out how to explain to them what happens on our reservation, where stars look new and are strong enough to burn our bodies brown.

How do I explain to my vegetarian significant other that he can buy a t-shirt in the tribal store that reads, "Vegetarian is an Indian word for poor hunter." How do those for whom meat is something wrapped in plastic you use plastic to buy, make sense of my siblings hacking meat off a still-warm carcass? Do they really understand that the smooth hardness of the drums of mine they touch and admire is the flesh of the animal scraped clean?”

Thus begins a coming of age story of Native American Magical Realism. The first chapter was a finalist in National Public Radio’s Short Fiction Contest under “Dolls.” Now discover the full story of a most remarkable family.

(includes Coyote's Condoms, created for the Real Story Safe-Sex Project)