© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Author Sherman Alexie on race, protest, the country’s violent legacy ahead of BookFest St. Louis

Sherman Alexie, a Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-American novelist, short story writer, poet, and keynote speaker of BookFest St. Louis joined St. Louis on the Air on Friday.
Kelly Moffitt | St. Louis Public Radio
Sherman Alexie, a Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-American novelist, short story writer, poet, and keynote speaker of BookFest St. Louis joined St. Louis on the Air on Friday.

Sherman Alexie, acclaimed novelist, memoirist, poet and filmmaker, joined St. Louis on the Air on Friday. The author is keynoting the inaugural BookFest St. Louis, which will take place in the Central West End this weekend.

Alexie is also in the midst of promoting his recent memoir, “You Don't Have to Say You Love Me,” which was published earlier this year.

“I felt a little reluctant to be here, in fact, to come here to promote a book in the midst of all that is happening here in the aftermath of the unjust verdict, but I can be here to support as well, to be something of a traveling spiritual cheerleader,” Alexie said. “I do support Black Lives Matter, I do support the protests here in St. Louis.”

Related: Join St. Louis on the Air for a live recording: Nick Pistor discusses ‘Shooting Lincoln’ on Sept. 27

Alexie said even in the time he’s been here, speaking with people around town, he found St. Louis to have similar issues with race and income inequality that is going on in every city.

“It seems like St. Louis has a more profound problem,” Alexie said. “Talking to folks in restaurants and my driver here, there’s a special degree of animosity here directed toward black folks that I have not seen in other cities.”

Even though he does not plot out his speeches ahead of time, Alexie said he would address the protests and verdict in his speech tonight at the Sheldon.

“The entire country is built on black slavery and the genocide of Native Americans,” Alexie said. “The legacy of this country is violent. This is nothing new. Certainly, because of technology, people like to pretend that racial injustice is new, but this is just a new form of an ancient, foundational disease in the United States. I think with the election of this president, all sorts of these old animosities and hatred have been given new power.”

Kate Haher and Kris Kleindienst, two organizers behind BookFest St. Louis, joined St. Louis on the Air on Friday.
Credit Kelly Moffitt | St. Louis Public Radio
Kate Haher and Kris Kleindienst, two organizers behind BookFest St. Louis, joined St. Louis on the Air on Friday.

Alexie said he was drawn to BookFest St. Louis because it is the first year and he wanted to help establish the festival, having visited St. Louis several times before and enjoying his interactions with people here.

Also joining St. Louis on the Air on Friday were two organizers of the festival, Kris Kleindienst, co-owner of Left Bank Books, and Kate Haher, executive director of the Central West End CID.

They discussed the different offerings the festival would have on Saturday, when the festival really gets started at the corner of McPherson and Euclid.

Listen to the full conversation here:

Acclaimed author Sherman Alexie, and two organizers of the inaugural BookFest St. Louis, joined St. Louis on the Air on Friday to discuss the weekend festival's events.

Related Events

An Evening with Sherman Alexie

Friday, September 22, 2017

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108  More information

BookFest St. Louis

Saturday, September 23, 2017

10:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Central West End More information

St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary EdwardsAlex Heuer and Kelly Moffitt give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Alex Heuer joined St. Louis Public Radio in 2012 and is the executive producer of St. Louis on the Air. Alex grew up in the St. Louis area. He began his public radio career as a student reporter at Tri States Public Radio in Macomb, Illinois and worked for a few years at Iowa Public Radio. Alex graduated summa cum laude from Western Illinois University with a degree in history and earned a teaching certificate in 6 - 12th grade social studies. In 2016, he earned a Master of Public Policy Administration with a focus in nonprofit organization management and leadership from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has won local and national awards for reporting and producing and his stories have been featured nationally on Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
Online producer for St. Louis Public Radio's talk shows St. Louis on the Air and Cityscape.