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Thomas King
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The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative Paperback – 1 June 2008

by Thomas King (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 408
Edition: 3rd ed.
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"Stories are wondrous things. And they are dangerous." In The Truth About Stories, Native novelist and scholar Thomas King explores how stories shape who we are and how we understand and interact with other people. From creation stories to personal experiences, historical anecdotes to social injustices, racist propaganda to works of contemporary Native literature, King probes Native culture's deep ties to storytelling. With wry humor, King deftly weaves events from his own life as a child in California, an academic in Canada, and a Native North American with a wide-ranging discussion of stories told by and about Indians. So many stories have been told about Indians, King comments, that "there is no reason for the Indian to be real. The Indian simply has to exist in our imaginations." That imaginative Indian that North Americans hold dear has been challenged by Native writers - N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, Louis Owens, Robert Alexie, and others - who provide alternative narratives of the Native experience that question, create a present, and imagine a future. King reminds the reader, Native and non-Native, that storytelling carries with it social and moral responsibilties. "Don't say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You've heard it now."
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  1. ISBN-10
    0816646279
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0816646272
  3. Edition
    3rd ed.
  4. Publisher
    University of Minnesota Press
  5. Publication date
    1 June 2008
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    12.7 x 1.52 x 20.32 cm
  8. Print length
    184 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

About the Author

Thomas King is one of Canada's premier Native public intellectuals. He was the first Aboriginal person to deliver the prestigious Massey Lectures, and he is the best-selling, award-winning author of six novels, two collections of short stories, and two nonfiction books. His work The Inconvenient Indian won the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction and the RBC Taylor Prize. He is a recipient of the Order of Canada and lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Minnesota Press; 3rd ed. edition (1 June 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0816646279
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0816646272
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.52 x 20.32 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 408

About the author

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Thomas King

Thomas King

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Thomas King is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, scriptwriter, and photographer. His many books include the novels Medicine River; Green Grass, Running Water; Truth and Bright Water; two short story collections, One Good Story, That One (Minnesota, 2013) and A Short History of Indians in Canada (Minnesota, 2013); nonfiction, The Truth About Stories (Minnesota, 2005); and the children's books A Coyote Columbus Story, Coyote Sings to the Moon, Coyote's New Suit, and A Coyote Solstice Tale. King edited the literary anthology All My Relations and wrote and starred in the popular CBC radio series, The Dead Dog Café. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award (2003), and was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2004. He has taught Native literature and history and creative writing at the University of Lethbridge, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Guelph and is now retired and lives in Guelph, Ontario.

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Mickayla Matvieshen
5.0 out of 5 stars Eloquent and heart stopping
Reviewed in Canada on 30 October 2022
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The intense and heartwarming nature of Thomas King is unmatched. Along the entire journey of reading I felt myself pulled along a River on knowledge awaiting a revelation, and King didn’t disappoint.
A wonderful and necessary read in postcolonial discourse.
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Veronica Villa
5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas King is a great author and narrator
Reviewed in the United States on 15 October 2020
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I am using the text to translate some of his perspectives and compare with the history of the Mexican native peoples. Super important, clear, engaging.
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linda brewins
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2018
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Promptly received and a book worth reading.
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Peyton Breinholt
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book
Reviewed in the United States on 29 January 2021
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This book was very good, I bought it for my college English 2010 Class and it's been the most intriguing book I've read during my college years. I would definitely recommend reading this book and I would actually read this in my free time as well.

Also the book came in very good condition and It was well worth the money I paid for it.
3 people found this helpful
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SSH
5.0 out of 5 stars Stories can be wonderful or dangerous
Reviewed in Canada on 21 November 2020
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I hadn't read any of Thomas King's books before and did this as part of a school book club. I found it to be very interesting and accessible. I learned about some things that gave me a very strong emotional response. Some of his ideas felt very powerful to me like stories can be wonderful or dangerous, once they're told they can't be taken back, and now that you've heard it it's up to you what to do with it. It made me think a lot and rethink what I know. I'm recommending this book to family and friends. I hope you enjoy it too.
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