No funny Native Women? (wrong) Tiffany Midge is hilarious

Why is there no Native woman David Sedaris? Or Native Anne Lamott? Humor categories in publishing are packed with books by funny women and humorous sociocultural-political commentary--but no Native women. There are presumably more important concerns in Indian Country. More important than humor? Among the Diné/Navajo, a ceremony is held in honor of a baby's first laugh. While the context is different, it nonetheless reminds us that laughter is precious, even sacred.

Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's is a powerful and compelling collection of Tiffany Midge's musings on life, politics, and identity as a Native woman in America. Artfully blending sly humor, social commentary, and meditations on love and loss, Midge weaves short, stand-alone musings into a memoir that stares down colonialism while chastising hipsters for abusing pumpkin spice. She explains why she does not like pussy hats, mercilessly dismantles pretendians, and confesses her own struggles with white-bread privilege. 

Reviews

"If you're wondering why the presence of Andrew Jackson's portrait in the Oval Office is offensive, this is your book."--Kirkus-- "Kirkus" 

"[Midge's] no-b.s., take-no-prisoners approach is likely to resound with twenty-something readers, but the older crowd ought to give Midge a look, too."--Joan Curbow, Booklist--Joan Curbow "Booklist"
 

"[A] cornucopia of literary brilliance. The Standing Rock Sioux writer's wickedly funny autobiography offers laugh-out-loud passages alongside compassionate profiles, bitter sarcasm, and heartbreaking chronicles. Each of the memoirs are short yet potent, compelling the reader to continue while paradoxically causing one to pause to reflect on Midge's astute observations. Every entry is so well-crafted that the only disappointment you'll find is when you realize you've read them all. Then again, this is a book that demands to be reread."--Ryan Winn, Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education--Ryan Winn "Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education" 

What characterizes Native Humor? What makes Natives Laugh? What are the benefits of Native humor? Midge will explore each of these questions individually and look at their relations within the confines of modern political activism and social justice. She will discuss her own use of humor in writing as well as the influences of other Native humorists such as Tim Fontaine, Jana Schmieding and more.

Midge is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and was raised by wolves in the Pacific Northwest. In order to raise awareness of social justice in respect to race, feminism, politics, and identity; she uses humor writing across many genres.

“One of the best ways to understand a people is to know what makes them laugh. Laughter encompasses the limits of the soul. In humor life is redefined and accepted. Irony and satire provide much keener insights into a group’s collective psyche and values than do years of research.” —Vine Deloria Jr., in Custer Died for Your Sins

Bio:

Tiffany Midge is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and was raised by wolves in the Pacific Northwest. She is the recipient of a 2019 Pushcart Prize, the Kenyon Review Earthworks Indigenous Poetry Prize, a Western Heritage Award, the Diane Decorah Memorial Poetry Award, and was awarded a 2019-20 Simons Public Humanities fellowship. Tiffany is a former humor columnist for Indian Country Today and the author of Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s.