Episode 275 with Deborah Jackson-Taffa, Author of National Book Award Finalist Whiskey Tender, and Chronicler and Reflective Craftswoman of Endearing and Enduring and Resonant Stories

Notes and Links to Deborah Taffa-Jackson’s Work

 

 

 

   Deborah Jackson Taffa is a citizen of the (Quatzahn) Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo. She earned her MFA at the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa and is the Director of the MFA in Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Named Top 10 Book of the Year by Atlantic Magazine, and Top 10 Nonfiction Book by Time Magazine.

Buy Whiskey Tender

 

Deborah's Website

 

Book Review for Whiskey Tender from Washington Post

 

At about 1:30, Deborah reflects on and expands on her experience in being a finalist for The National Book Award 

At about 5:30, Pete shares some laudatory feedback for her memoir and Deborah shouts out Birchbark Books, Collected Works, Left Bank Books, as some great places to buy her book 

At about 7:30, Deborah shares some wonderful invitations she’s received to discuss her book and her art

At about 9:05, Deborah explains how she “reverse-engineered” the book with regard to research and personal stories 

At about 10:20, Deborah responds to Pete’s questions about her early reading and language life and how her formal and informal education was affected by her family’s histories 

At about 15:45, Deborah gives background on her “autodidactic,” transformative learning, study, reading, and traveling that helped her  

At about 19:00, Deborah traces the throughlines of colonization in seemingly-disparate groups

At about 22:20, Deborah discusses the significance of her epigraph on “ceremony”

At about 26:25, Billy Ray Belcourt is cited as Pete and Deborah talk about the speculative and aspirational writing 

At about 27:55, Pete and Deborah reflect on ideas of indigenous invisibility as evidenced in a memorable scene from Whiskey Tender

At about 29:40, Deborah cites a “shocking” study n her college textbook that speaks to how many Americans view Native American women, and how it provided fodder and stimulus for her memoir

At about 31:25, the two discuss a flashback scene that begins the book and the idea of “mirages” as discussed in the opening scene

At about 35:20, Pete asks Deborah to expand upon a resonant line from her book about meaningful childhood experiences 

At about 37:35, Deborah talks about historical silences in her family and in others 

At about 39:40, Deborah talks about the intensive historical research done in the last year before the book was published

At about 40:55, The two discuss similarities regarding generation gaps in indigenous groups and immigrant and traditionally-marginalized groups 

At about 42:40, Deborah talks about the lore of Sarah Winnemucca in her family and “her savvi[ness] and revisionist history

At about 46:25, Pete and Deborah talk about the “flattening” of American Indian stories and pivotal government treaties and reneging on deals by the American government  

At about 48:00, Pete and Deborah reflect on contemporary connections to previous American policies

At about 50:20, The two discuss a representative story about “lateral violence” and belonging and ostracism that affected Deborah at a young age

At about 53:00, Counternarratives to myths about indigenous peoples and movement are discussed 

At about 57:20, 

At about 59:40, Pete is highly complimentary of Deborah’s writing about her grandmother’s genuine and wonderful nature, and Deborah expands on her grandmother’s cancer diagnosis and outlook and lasting influence 

At about 1:02:30, Pete highlights a wonderful closing scene about time and place and home

 

   You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you’re checking out this episode.

      Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.

    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl

     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete’s one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!

    This month’s Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.

I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.

   This is a passion project of Pete’s, a DIY operation, and he’d love for your help in promoting what he’s convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.

    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.

    Please tune in for Episode 276 with Donna Minkowitz, a writer of fantasy, memoir, and journalism lauded by Lilith Magazine for her “fierce imagination and compelling prose.” Her first book, Ferocious Romance, won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Book On Religion/Spirituality, and her most recent memoir was Growing Up Golem, a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award. She is also the author of the novel DONNAVILLE, published in 2024. 

   The episode airs on March 18.