awsis kinky and disheveled

There are no pronouns in Cree for gender; awsis (which means illuminated child) reveals herself through shape-shifting, adopting different genders, exploring the English language with merriment, and sharing his journey of mishaps with humor, mystery, and spirituality. Opening with a joyful and intimate Introduction from Elder Maria Campbell,awsis - kinky and dishevelledis a force of Indigenous resurgence, resistance, and soul-healing laughter.

If you've read Halfe's previous books, prepared to be surprised by this one. Raging in the dark, uncovering the painful facts wrought on her and her people's lives by colonialism, racism, religion, and residential schools, she has walked us through raw realities with unabashed courage and intense, precise lyricism.

But for her fifth book, another choice presented itself. Would she carve her way with determined ferocity into the still-powerful destructive forces of colonialism, despite Canada's official, hollow promises to make things better? After a soul-searching Truth and Reconciliation process, the drinking water still hasn't improved, and Louise began to wonder whether inspiration had deserted her.

Then awsis showed up a trickster, teacher, healer, wheeler-dealer, shapeshifter, woman, man, nuisance, inspiration. A Holy Fool with their fly open, speaking Cree, awsis came to Louise out of the ancient stories of her people, her Elders, from community input (through tears and laughter), from her own full heart and her three-dimensional dreams. Following awsis's lead, Louise has flipped her blanket over, revealing a joking, mischievous, unapologetic alter ego right on time. (FromBrick Books)

Louise Bernice Halfeis a Cree poet, author and storytellerraised on the Saddle Lake Reserve in Alberta. In 2017,Halfewon theLatner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize, which is given to amid-career poet with a remarkable body of work. Her poetry collection,Burning in this Midnight Dream, is inspired by the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission andexplores the traumatic legacy of residential schools.

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