Indian Trains

by Erika T. Wurth

Indian Trains is about small town Indians, about community and family, about thieves, prostitutes, train stealers, drug dealers, loners, jerks, dreaming alcoholics, and the ones who did everything but all of that. It is about an entirely new urban mixed-bloods of multiple tribes who are respectful of where their ancestors have come from but are increasingly going to Indian powwows, Indian bars, and Urban Native organizations for cultural fulfillment rather than only returning to reservations to find out who they are. They are about 70 percent of the Indian population--the truly unsung peoples of America.
"This is a funny, sad, and powerful book. Each poem is lovely and the cumulative effect is devastating."--Sherman Alexie
"The country between poetry and stories is where this story-singer comes from. Tales of polished obsidian. Full of night, fascinating, and frightful. Glistening and brilliant. Small enough to hold in the hand. Sharp enough to tear open the heart. I was left breathless."--Sandra Cisneros
" Indian Trains is a marvelous, intimate poetic journey. There are hardy native families here, the immediacy of survivors and traditionalists. The incomparable images arise from worried hearts, irony, the actual centers of cultural memory. Erika Wurth writes about a woman on a leather chair, 'a revolution in her heart,' as she waits for 'metaphors to change everything.' And they do in this brave, inspired selection of poems."--Gerald Vizenor, Almost Ashore

Genres: Poetry, Native American, Indigenous

72 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2007

About the author

Erika T. Wurth’s novel WHITE HORSE is a New York Times editors pick, a Good Morning America buzz pick, and an Indie Next, Target book of the Month, and Book of the Month Pick. She is both a Kenyon and Sewanee fellow, and Kenyon faculty. She’s published in Buzzfeed, McSweeny’s, and The Writer’s Chronicle, and is a narrative artist for the Meow Wolf Denver installation. She’s a professor of creative writing at Western Illinois University. She’s represented by Rebecca Friedman. She’s an urban Native of Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent and lives in Denver with her partner, niece, step-kids and two incredibly fluffy dogs. Her novel THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904 will be out with Flatiron books March 2025.

Reviews

[Herman · Rating 3 out of 5]

POETRY I always have problems reading poetry, it takes so much longer than a novel much more concentration often reading the lines over again more than once to recognize the implied situation or the variations on a theme or just to properly understand the pathos that is being described. Even so this wasn't one of my favorite poetry books just a bit depressing Bukowski or Celine like without the deadpan humor. So even though I love the topic of native contemporary life this get's three stars because it was rather disjointed and depressing.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 stars. Can't wait to read her fiction.

[Lizzy Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every poem is breathtaking.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are some beautiful and moving poems. The pattern of language, the vividness of the images, there is so much to love in here. So glad I finally picked this one up.