Dance Me Outside

by W.P. Kinsella

Dance Me Outside is a collection of short stories written by W. P. Kinsella in 1977.

The book contains seventeen stories narrated by Silas Ermineskin and is set on a Cree Indian reserve in Central Alberta and is about what happens in the lives of the people that live on the reserve.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Short Stories, Indigenous, Canadian Literature, Book Club, Native American

158 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

William Patrick Kinsella, OC, OBC was a Canadian novelist and short story writer. His work has often concerned baseball and Canada's First Nations and other Canadian issues.

William Patrick Kinsella was born to John Matthew Kinsella and Olive Kinsella in Edmonton, Alberta. Kinsella was raised until he was 10 years-old at a homestead near Darwell, Alberta, 60 km west of the city, home-schooled by his mother and taking correspondence courses. "I'm one of these people who woke up at age five knowing how to read and write," he says. When he was ten, the family moved to Edmonton.

As an adult, he held a variety of jobs in Edmonton, including as a clerk for the Government of Alberta and managing a credit bureau. In 1967, he moved to Victoria, British Columbia, running a pizza restaurant called Caesar's Italian Village and driving a taxi.

Though he had been writing since he was a child (winning a YMCA contest at age 14), he began taking writing courses at the University of Victoria in 1970, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing there in 1974. He travelled down to Iowa and earned a Master of Fine Arts in English degree through the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1978. In 1991, he was presented with an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from the University of Victoria.

Kinsella's most famous work is Shoeless Joe, upon which the movie Field of Dreams was based. A short story by Kinsella, Lieberman in Love, was the basis for a short film that won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film – the Oscar win came as a surprise to the author, who, watching the award telecast from home, had no idea the film had been made and released. He had not been listed in the film's credits, and was not acknowledged by director Christine Lahti in her acceptance speech – a full-page advertisement was later placed in Variety apologizing to Kinsella for the error. Kinsella's eight books of short stories about life on a First Nations reserve were the basis for the movie Dance Me Outside and CBC television series The Rez, both of which Kinsella considers very poor quality. The collection Fencepost Chronicles won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour in 1987.

Before becoming a professional author, he was a professor of English at the University of Calgary in Alberta. Kinsella suffered a car accident in 1997 which resulted in a long hiatus in his fiction-writing career until the publication of the novel, Butterfly Winter. He is a noted tournament Scrabble player, becoming more involved with the game after being disillusioned by the 1994 Major League Baseball strike. Near the end of his life he lived in Yale, British Columbia with his fourth wife, Barbara (d. 2012), and occasionally wrote articles for various newspapers.

In the year 1993, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2005, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia.

W.P. Kinsella elected to die on September 16, 2016 with the assistance of a physician.

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

In May of 2019 I read Shoeless Joe by W. E. Kinsella. That was the book which became the movie Field Of Dreams. I loved the book and the author's style, so I ordered some used copies of his work from my favorite online book seller. And I have finally gotten myself around to reading them.

Dance Me Outside was Kinsella's first book. It is a collection of short stories, all narrated by Silas Ermineskin, a young Cree living on the Ermineskin Reserve in Western Canada. Silas has an interesting way of phrasing his thoughts, but it doesn't take long for the reader to adjust to and be charmed by his expressions.

I want to quote the back cover of my edition:
W. P. Kinsella writes about Indians without pain, guilt or embarrassment. He refuses to take a tragic (he would cal it a sentimental) view of Indian life. His view is unrepentantly comic and his stories are extremely funny. Not that he laughs at the Indians. On the contrary: it is the white man and his civilization that is seen to be absurd.

I agree with most of that. But I think that statement about the stories being extremely funny is a bit misleading. There are many amusing bits in each story, but also each one has a bite to it that will (or should) make the reader sit up and think.

For example, Dance Me Outside, the title story. It begins "Little Margaret Wolfchild got murdered down to Wetaskiwin one Saturday night last fall." After that opening, we learn how the young men of the Reserve plan to take revenge on the killer when he gets out of jail. (It was a white man who did the killing and of course he did not get a lengthy sentence.) But someone gets revenge before the men do, and the way it is done is sheer perfection.

Another favorite of mine that was not 'extremely funny' was the story titled Panache. Our Silas and two buddies manage to get jobs at a big mine but the other workers don't like them being there since they don't have blonde hair or blue eyes. What happens to Tom at the mine proves that he has panache, a word that Silas had learned from their teacher not long before. This story might make you cry.

Whether the stories bring laughter or tears or both, all of them are great. I loved Silas. I am looking forward to reading The Fencepost Chronicles, another volume of Kinsella stories narrated by this interesting character.

[Neil Pasqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read Kinsella and ultimately the Dance Me Outside series of stories, I believed him to be "Indian"
I am myself Indian and felt he had to be Indian as he captured the humour and strength of humour... But Kinsella was not and I felt a bit of cultural appropriation but regardless of the storyteller, the stories were funny...

[Paul Secor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this when it was published in the U.S. - mid 80's - and decided to reread it when I read of W.P. Kinsella's passing. It still holds up. There are a couple of 3 star stories, some 4 stars, and some 5 stars. I'll give it 5 in memoriam of Mr. Kinsella.

[Jovana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of Dance Me Outside because the novel is the basis for the TV show The Rez, which I watched as a kid. The book contains several short stories that are written from the perspective of a First Nations teenage boy, Silas Ermineskin, who lives on the Ermineskin Reservation. The premise is that what sets him apart from the other teen boys on the reservation who are also heading towards a working-class life is that he has a talent for telling stories. In the collection, he tells slice-of-life stories that happen to him and his friends, all of them having a comic tone.

This is a simple book. Part of the reason for that is that it's written as if Silas, who is an "every man" character as well as a teenage boy, is writing it. So, he doesn't offer that many deep and meaningful insights into the events of the plot, instead presenting them as if they are normal and common occurrences. This has the advantage of making it a cozy read, but not a profound one. That's OK--it's just worth mentioning that this isn't a change-your-life kind of book.

Ultimately, if you enjoy reading fiction about First Nations, you'll enjoy this book.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

W. P. Kinella's enjoyable collection of short humorous stories are narrated by Silas Ermineskin, a young Cree living on a Canadian reserve, as he struggles to understand and explain the lives of his family and friends (especially their relationships with whites), mostly set during the 1970s, revealing much of the racism and poverty experienced by Canadian Indians. The stories are often witty, sharp, and critical. My biggest pause, however, is that they are being told by a nonnative (sympathetic as he may be) in the voice of an Indian, and one wonders if any Crees took offense to Kinsella's representation (especially the speech patterns). Moreover, his justification of theft, murder, vengeance, and lying, as well as spousal cheating, by many of the characters, may be looked upon unkindly by Native Americans. Granted, it is fiction and a writer can make any characters they wish, but it made me hesitate. I fear that racialist views of native Canadians are perpetuated in this work.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am aware Kinsella has the propensity to create sensationalized portraits the First Nations life, I can't help but love this work, his first. It has a distinct charm and perhaps the best cohesiveness or "flow" of any short story collection I've read. Each story is rich with a comedic lightness that balances out the tough matters, without diminishing impact. It was hard to put down and I read it in two sittings.

[E.A. Briginshaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because my wife was reading it for her book club, it had good reviews, and I knew of Kinsella's "Field of Dreams". However, I abandoned this book after about 60 pages. I found it disturbing as it just seemed to propagate many of the stereotypes about Indigenous Canadians. When I looked inside the front cover, I saw that it was written in 1977 which might explain (excuse?) why it portrays Aboriginal people the way it does. Not for me.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super collection of short stories that are different in theme but consistent in tone. Highly recommend. Great sense of Native humor. :) And tragedy.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does a pretty good job of capturing the humor and pathos of life on an Indian reservation.

[Sollenbum · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dance Me Outside" is a series of interconnected short stories about Cree indians on a reservation. It depicts their lives as they are influenced by historically induced poverty and their fraught interaction with people outside of their community. There is a humorous, but serious narrative voice throughout the short stories, which allows the social consequences of their situation to sink in without being unnecessarily emotional. The most of the characters are flat and their relationships do not develop to any significant degree, but it is interesting to follow them through a series of situations that bring them into conflict with white society and at times with each other.

This book is the basis for the film of the same name and that is also how I was inspired to read it. There is, however, a sense that the book is written by an outsider looking in on a community of which he is not a member. The language tries to mimic the ethnolect of Cree Indians, but it seems to be limited to a simplified form of verb conjungation, which is grating in the long run. These characters would probably not be speaking in English at all when they are amongst themselves, so the effect is slightly patronizing when it is used so systematically. But the book is from 1977 so perceptions of what is culturally acceptable is now quite different than when the book was first published.

The feature film from 1994 seems much more in tune with a more culturally sensitive representation of life on the reservation and perhaps more representative of how humour is used to deal with life there.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book did not age well. The way the synopsis was written made it sound like Kinsella was an ally of indigenous people half a century before it was trendy to be an "ally":

Kinsella refuses to take a tragic (he would call it sentimental) view of Indian life. His view is unrepentantly comic and his stories are extremely funny. Not that he laughs at the expense of the Indians. On the contrary, it is the white man and his civilization that are seen to be absurd.

All the stories are told from the point of view of a young Cree man living on an Alberta reserve, and the entire book is written in broken English because he's too stupid to speak the language properly. Most of the stories involve prostitution, violence, drinking, gambling, and crime. I don't see how this can be understood as anything other than a negative portrayal of indigenous people. Some of the stories were interesting; I like how difficult subjects (revenge, death) were written with tact, and the emphasis on the importance of friends and family, but overall this book reeks of cultural appropriation.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be not at all what I expected and mildly disturbing. It is spoken of as being humorous, but I found the stories sad. Sad because of the sorry plight of the American Indian in our society and sad because of the inhuman way people treat one another.
Sometimes, I felt like I wanted to stop reading, such was the upsetting nature of some of the things that occurred, but the stories themselves are compelling. Each is a tight knit little adventure with a very definite beginning, middle and ending and some of the endings were quite a surprise and others gave food for thought.
I can see how this book has endured all these years and how it has become a cult classic.
In retrospect, I have been enlightened and entertained in reading it.

[Maeve Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a collection of stories that is told by a young Indigenous man living on a reserve in Alberta. I feel that the author does convey the racist attitudes of white settlers living in the prairies of Canada. That being said, I felt that it also perpetuates certain stereotypes of Indigenous people.

You can tell that the author has an interest in Indigenous culture and politics but I do not think that he does so in a truly respectful way. The stories are interesting and can be humourous, overall the stories are not good enough to make up for the cultural appropriation that this book is in implicit in.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adored reading this collection of short stories! Felt familiar to a lot of stories I hear on my reservation from elders and calls back to a time now lost when most Indigenous communities began to adapt to Western society. There was a great variety of stories which covered topics of stereotypes, racism, classism, and general relationships between those off and on the reservation. Silas shares his beliefs and view on the world around him with the audience with that famous native humor which I appreciated. This book made me laugh and reflect on how Indigenous communities had to adapt to the changing world around them.

[Lorraine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can understand why there was a great deal of controversy about Kinsella's books set on a Cree reserve in Alberta. This novel is disparaging towards the Indigenous characters. The whites don't come across well either, but Kinsella's "humour", depicting the Cree as stereotypes is off-putting. Pick up a book by any of Canada's excellent Indigenous writers to get a true, respectful depiction of the people and their societies. People like Katerina Vermette, Michelle Good, Lee Maracle Cherie Dimaline, Jesse Thistle, Waubgeshig Rice are a few whose books would be appreciated by readers interested in Canada's relationship with its Indigenous people.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed these stories when I first picked up this book in Canada about 30 years ago. Upon re-reading them, they strike me as humorous and sad -- sometimes within the same sentence. I can understand some First Nations people taking offense at the way Kinsella writes about them, but it also seems that he is siding with them. He exposes the casual racism they face, and the limited futures for so many who are raised on the reservations. Perhaps a bit out of date, but still a poignant collection.

[Lorraine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insulting to Indigenous people.
Indigenous people are the brunt of his "humour"
Uses bad grammar and poor vocabulary - reminded me of Twain "imitating " Jim's dialect
Such a contrast to Jesse Thistle's book, From the Ashes which is honest and open about the horrors of being Indigenous in 21st century Canada

[Caitie]

I don't know how to rate this. I am keenly aware that it was not written by an Indigenous author, and it is definitely a product of its time. I did end up liking it a lot, but I don't know if I would like it as well if I didn't already love the movie (which incorporates several of the short stories, but not nearly all of them). It is very funny and very sad!

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

i saw the movie that was based off a few of the stories in this collection and liked it, so i figured i would try to find the original anthology. i enjoyed some of these stories more than others, and the writing style was hard to get used to at first, but by far i enjoyed "ups and downs" the most. it was hilarious!

[Britt Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of mine was telling me about how good the theatrical version of this book was, so I figured I'd give it a try. I really enjoyed it a lot, and definitely will be watching the movie if I can get my hands on it!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it was either get fired up, or sad. some of the stories did fire me up yo the point of wanting to fight anything with breathe but the overall effect. sad.

[Anthony Gargiulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinsella is often overlooked as a short story writer, but this, his first book, will show the reader how there's more to this author than Shoeless Joe. RIP.

[Catherine Matsalla · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books of all time!

[Lisa U · Rating 3 out of 5]

Refreshingly real stories ….

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought i would. I don’t usually like short story collections, but this read more like chapters since it was stories about the same person and their various experiences. I do wonder, however, if this book would have been published or received well today. I was thinking about the appropriateness of a non indigenous person presenting a story that includes many exaggerated stereotypes, when 2 weeks later the huge upset over Opera’s recent book choice “American Dirt” was all over the news ... guess that answers the question.

[Kye Alfred Hillig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've admired the native American beliefs all my life. This was a great window into how their lives have changed. Kinsella shows us a character whose community has turned somewhat bitter under the foot of the white man. There is an innocence about his character, Silas, that makes you feel the pain of his people and the way that their lives have been perverted. There is an underlying feeling of doom to this novel, like you know that the natives as a people won't survive. It's also interesting to be allowed a view into the native gender roles, which by modern social standards would be labeled sexist. A wonderful and honestly touching novel. I suggest it.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved the movie and was thrilled to come across the book. Was I surprised to learn that the movie is based on but a single chapter of the book. No wonder the author didn't like the movie! The stories are so funny and the characters are unforgettable. I know he is not a native writer and there is always the concern of someone telling another culture's stories, but I think the stories are told with such authenticity and love for the characters, I could not help but be won over. A truly great read.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time that I read this book since the mid 1990's. This time I wanted to read it because the book caused a bit of a sensation with the people that live in the First Nations community of Hobbema (now called Maskwacis). I didn't think that it was controversial at all. It had a lot of the truth of living on a reserve. Perhaps if the book was released today instead of so many decades ago, people might have a different attitude now that First Nations concerns are being revealed. Overall, I recommend it as a good read.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really rating this book a 4.5. My single complaint is that it wasn't longer. What made this collection of short stories so enjoyable is that the characters stayed pretty much the same throughout the book, so even though each story was only a handful of pages long, Kinsella is able to really develop the major players in the collection. Perhaps the greatest strength of the book is that it has just one narrator, and his personality ties all the stories together.

[Valeria Clay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. This collection of short stories depict life on a modern Indian reservation from an Indian perspective. It shows the differences (past and present) and the communication difficulties that occur when interactions occur between two cultures. The narrator is the connecting thread between the various stories. It is a great read, my only complaint is that it wasn't any longer. I could have kept reading.