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"A poignant story of colonization and assimilation, something I know a little bit about. A masterpiece."—Chinua Achebe"One of our most brilliant writers tells a harsh truth about American history."—Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States Praise for Edge of Nowhere :"Smelcer's prose is lyrical, straightforward, and brilliant . . . authentic Native Alaskan storytelling at its best."— School Library Journal (starred review)"A spare tale of courage, love and terrible obstacles."— The Wall Street Journal "More psychological depth than Robinson Crusoe."—Frank McCourtPraise for Lone Wolves :"A beautiful and moving story of courage and love."—Ray Bradbury"Smelcer [is] a rockstar of Alaskan literature."— Mushing magazine"Powerful, eloquent, and fascinating."— Kirkus Reviews "Smelcer's work has a touch of the classical, combining good old-fashioned adventure and survival themes with heart-tugging moments of clarity and poignancy that recall Jean Craighead George's Julie of the Wolves ."— Booklist Praise for The Trap :"A gripping and poignant story, made even more so because of its basis in historical fact."— Horn Book (starred review)Four Indian teenagers are kidnapped from different regions, their lives immutably changed by an institution designed to eradicate their identity. And no matter what their home, their stories are representative of every story, every stolen life. So far from home, without family to protect them, only their friendship helps them endure. This is a work of fiction. Every word is true. John Smelcer is the author of over forty books, including essays, story collections, poetry, and novels, and five YA novels.

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"Smelcer clearly knows his way around Alaskan mountains."—David Roberts, author of The Mountain of My Fear Praise for Edge of Nowhere :"A survival story, but one with a strong heart."— ForeWord Reviews "A thought-provoking and moving coming-of-age story."— Publishers Weekly "Another gripping literary triumph for Smelcer."— Midwest Book Review Praise for Lone Wolves :"A beautiful and moving story of courage and love."—Ray Bradbury"An engaging tale of survival, love, and courage."— School Library Journal "[Smelcer] promises to further solidify his status as 'Alaska's modern day Jack London.'"—Suzanne Steinert, Mushing "Powerful, eloquent, and fascinating, showcasing a vanishing way of life in rich detail."— Kirkus "Combines good old-fashioned adventure . . . with heart-tugging moments of clarity and poignancy that recall Julie of the Wolves ."— Booklist "A compassionate and inspiring tale . . . highlights the importance of family, community, and heritage."— Midwest Book Review Brothers Sebastian and James Savage decide to climb one of the highest Alaskan mountains to prove themselves to their father. Inspired by true events, Savage Mountain is not a story of father-son reconciliation, but a touching story of two brothers who test their limits and learn that no matter how different they might be, the strongest bond of all is brotherhood. John Smelcer is poetry editor of Rosebud and the author of more than forty books. He is an Alaskan native of the Ahtna tribe, and a skilled mountaineer. He divides his time between Talkeetna, Alaska, and Kirksville, Missouri, where he teaches in the department of communications studies at Truman State University.

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"More psychological depth than Robinson Crusoe."—Frank McCourt Praise for Lone Wolves: "A beautiful and moving story of courage and love."—Ray Bradbury "Powerful, eloquent, and fascinating, showcasing a vanishing way of life in rich detail."—Kirkus Reviews "An adept focus on coming-of-age and an illuminating glimpse of Native Alaskan cultures."–The Horn Book "A gifted storyteller with a unique perspective. . . . A breathlessly paced and thrilling ride for readers of all ages."–Cambridge Book Review Praise for The Great Death and Alaskan: "Gripping and poignant. . . . Smelcer's prose is clean and rich; original yet unpretentious."—Horn Book, starred review "John Smelcer is Alaska's modern-day Jack London."—W.P. Kinsella "An indispensible contribution to Alaskan literature."—J. D. Salinger "Smelcer speaks from the land, for the land, and the people who belong to it."—Ursula K. Le Guin Sixteen-year-old Seth and his dog fall off his father's commercial fishing boat in Prince William Sound. They struggle to survive off land and sea as they work their way home from island to island in a three-month journey. The isolation allows Seth to understand his father's love, accept his Native Alaskan heritage, and accept his grief over his mother's death. John Smelcer is poetry editor of Rosebud and the author of more than forty books. He is an Alaskan native of the Ahtna tribe, and the last tribal member who reads and writes in Ahtna. He divides his time between Talkeetna, Alaska, and Kirksville, Missouri, where he teaches in the department of communications studies at Truman State University.

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"A beautiful and moving story of courage and love."—Ray Bradbury Praise for The Great Death: "An amazing story."—Frank McCourt "Gripping and poignant. . . . An unforgettable survival tale."—Horn Book "A beautiful, poignant story."—Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner "Graphically illustrates the effects of a plague on isolated peoples."—School Library Journal "An engaging tale of survival."—Kirkus Reviews Praise for The Trap: "An unforgettable story. Brilliant!"—Ray Bradbury "A gripping example of talented storytelling. Unforgettable."—Tony Hillerman Praise for The Edge of Nowhere: "More psychological depth than Robinson Crusoe."—Frank McCourt Praise for Alaskan: "Smelcer is Alaska's modern-day Jack London."—W.P. Kinsella "A celebration of the diversity of cultures. Undeniably important!"—James Michener "An indispensible contribution to Alaskan literature."—JD Salinger "This writer speaks from the land, and for the land, and the people who belong to it."—Ursula K. Le Guin Deneena Yazzie's love of the woods and trail come from her grandfather, who teaches her their all-but-vanished Native Alaskan language. While her peers lose hope, trapped between the old and the modern cultures, and turn to destructive behaviors, Denny and her mysterious lead dog, a blue-eyed wolf, train for the Great Race—giving her town a new pride and hope. John Smelcer is poetry editor of Rosebud and the author of more than forty books. He is an Alaskan Native of the Ahtna tribe, and the last surviving reader and writer of Ahtna. John holds degrees in archeology, linguistics, literature, and education, and formerly chaired the Alaska Native Studies program and the University of Alaska (Anchorage).

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2,000 years ago an itinerant Jewish preacher was condemned to crucifixion. A man named Simon, from Cyrene, was compelled to help Jesus carry the heavy cross. What did he and Jesus talk about? Eager to learn more about this “rabbi,” Simon returned to Jerusalem the next day. What he learned changed his life, and gave his descendants an incredible secret.

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"Poetry at its most satirical and courageous. A tremendous book."—Seamus Heaney "Few voices in American literature are so honest and daring."—Mark Strand "One of our most brilliant poets."—Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz "I feel the primal grain and temper of the genuine here."—William Heyen "A lament, a protest, an inextinguishable song."—Sherod Santos "Among the best and most original poets in America."—Stanley Kunitz "Nothing short of splendid."—Robert Nazarene "The kind of energy found in the poems of William Carlos Williams and Gary Snyder."—Joseph Bruchac These poems tell harsh truths of hopelessness and genocide. The confusion of children whose religion is forbidden; the ironic poverty of a lottery winner; an alternate American history in which Columbus turns and sails away—in deceptively simple language, we hear the protest of survivors. «'Indian' is not a derogatory word. It's what we call ourselves.» AFTER A SERMON AT THE CHURCH OF INFINITE CONFUSION At ten, Mary Caught-in-Betweencame home from sunday school,told every animal and bird and fishthey couldn't talk anymore,told her drum it couldn't sing anymore,told her feet they couldn't dance anymore,told her words they weren't words anymore,told Raven and Coyote they weren't gods anymore,said god was a starving white manwith long hair and blue eyes and a beardwho no one loved enough to savewhen they nailed him to a totem pole. John Smelcer has written over forty books of poetry and prose. He is a member of the Alaskan Ahtna tribe.

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Written over the course of a quarter century by one fo Alaska's best living writers, these two dozen stories embody the spirit of Alaska—its colliding cultures, magnificent beauty and dangerously unforgiving environment. «John Smelcer is Alaska's modern-day Jack London»—W. P. Kinsella. «John Smelcer's stories are an indispensable addition to Alaskan literature»—J. D. Salinger.

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• This is a work of fiction, and is not for Christians only, as shown by the endorsements from Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama.• A search for recent books specifically about Simon of Cyrene brings up only a number of self-published books, both fiction and nonfiction, but no others. There is an audience for this story that the self-publishers are unlikely to reach. • The connection to Thomas Merton will add another audience. The author recently discovered a collection of Merton's possessions, and publicity and interviews will help publicize The Gospel of Simon as well. See for example http://kbia.org/post/thomas-mertons-personal-belongings-resurface-missouri-nearly-fifty-years-after-his-death.

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