Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

From the archives: David Treuer on 'The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee'

Minnesota author David Treuer talks about his latest book.
Minnesota author David Treuer joins MPR News host Kerri Miller for a conversation about his latest book “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present.”
Courtesy photo by Nisreen Breek

This month, Graywolf Press republished author David Treuer’s first novel, “Little.” Originally printed in 1995, when Treuer wasn’t yet 30, “Little” tells the story of a Native American family struggling with loss, poverty and prejudice.

What does Treuer think about his debut novel now, 27 years after it was published? MPR news host Kerri Miller will talk with him about that on this Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas.

In the meantime, enjoy this 2019 conversation from Miller and Treuer about his award-winning book, “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee.” Treuer wrote it as a response to Native American history too often being told through a tragic lens.

Instead, in “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee,” Treuer traces Native American history, from the Battle of Wounded Knee to the present, with a focus on transformation in each new era.

Guest:

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. 

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