The story Mr. Clark tells is fascinating. It's his story of growing up Native American in Wisconsin and facing racism, discrimination, and a difficult childhood. Don't worry though, Mr. Clark also focuses on humor and love. He reminds me of a priest our church had that told a homily and broke out into song to punctuate his points. Mr. Clark does that with his poetry.
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This book is the viewpoint of a contemporary Indian expressed through his poetry. Author Louis V. Clark III, aka Two Shoes, is a half-white, half Oneida who grew up on the reservation near Green Bay, Wisconsin and still lives in the area.

Seemingly a state highway worker by day, Clark advanced his education and developed his poetry at night. The soul of poetry is not rhymes and measure, but art of transmitting the poet’s thoughts and feelings through the written word. “How To Be An Indian In The 21st Century” possess that soul. The reader comes to appreciate Clark’s world view, his memories of his Catholic school, his resentment of his treatment by white society and his identity as an Indian of the 21st Century, but not the Indian of popular culure. Though “I didn’t have a pony, I only had a cat, My father didn’t wear a loincloth…I never smoked pipe, Or Burned someone at the stake” he was beaten up in first grade, discriminated on the job and would always be treated differently because of his race.

Introductions set the context for the poems. While some of them are a cry from a different culture, others are just plain entertaining stories that could arise in any neighborhood. I recommend the little boy’s fantasies depicted in “There’s a Dinosaur in My Room” and the comic mayhem of “There’s a Mouse in the House.”

This work may in turn pick at our conscience, broaden our mind, spark some irritation and get a few laughs. It is can be read quickly or savored slowly. Read it, set it aside and, when it calls to you, return to the poems that keep resurfacing in your mind.

I did receive a free copy of this book without the obligation to post a review. ( )

I'm afraid I couldn't finish this. The poems are incredibly simple and felt very immature. It is rhyming poetry and I find it's very difficult to write modern, serious rhyming poetry that *doesn't* read as immature. I tried simply focusing on the prose pieces/introductions but it was more of the same, somewhat thin and staccato in style.

I was clearly not the right audience for this book, so your mileage may vary. I've found that forcing myself to read a book I'm seriously not connecting with doesn't do me or the book any favors, so I chose to stop reading it.

An odd book. Odd title, odd cover, odd format, but oddly enough, not odd content, if that makes sense.

How To Be An Indian In The 21st Century. An intriguing title that I just had to learn more about.

Louis V. "two shoes" Clark III shares his life story. This life story is quite the journey as we go along with him through his memories and thoughts of his life on the reservation as a child, reminiscing about school...then to his life out in the work force and lastly as an old man...becoming a poet and grandfather. He gets deep...as he digs into his past we get a bit more than a timeline of a man's life. We learn about racism, bullying, falling in love, and numerous other sometimes dark subject matter. It tells the story in a very poetic way....which to me is the 'odd' thing about the book that goes along with everything else 'odd'. It takes some time to get use to but it works a little. I can see the vision somewhat. Could it use work? Absolutely and I only say this because it's an interesting story and I'd like to read more. I'd like it to read like a true memoir because I think it would have a greater audience if it did. Still...it was an honest effort at making a great story to be told in a unique way.

How To Be An Indian In The 21st Century. I like that I own the book. It was quite the experience to read it. I would recommend this book to anyone just because...why not. Why not try something with an 'odd' vibe. It makes for a unique reading experience.

My thanks to Louis V. Clark III and to the peeps at LibraryThing for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave. ( )