Featured Author: ~ Sherman Alexie Photo: Rex Rystedt I first began writing poetry when I was a student at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. My first love since way before high school was (and still is) playing basketball, but after being introduced to poetry in a creative writing class, I immediately fell in love with it and quickly became an avid reader and prolific writer of poetry. Once I started writing I felt unstoppable. I fell hard. Each week, with great anticipation, I would submit dozens of poems to literary journals and magazines. I used a P.O. Box for correspondence, and I clearly remember waiting expectantly by my mailbox for return envelopes from my submissions. When those envelopes appeared I would eagerly grab them out of the box and immediately tear them open. If an acceptance letter was enclosed I became so excited I couldn't contain myself. The people who attended to the mailbox would look at me quizzically and ask me why I was so excited. When I explained, they couldn't understand this joy I felt from knowing something I created would be published. How could I simply explain my elation? I was only Junior from a small town on the Spokane Indian Reservation, and my creative writing was being accepted for publication in an important literary journal something I wrote, something I created was going to be circulated in print, with my name on it, for thousands of people to read. In retrospect, if I had dared, I should have calmly explained to those people at the mailbox that each acceptance letter I received felt like a first French kiss exchanged with someone you've loved for a long time who you've never kissed before. ~ Alexie has written over 300 poems, stories, essays and reviews. His works include a short story collection, The Toughest Indian in the World, and a poetry collection, One Stick Song. Visit his web site at: www.fallsapart.com.

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