Episode 279 with Jon Hickey, Author of Big Chief, and Thoughtful Creator of Profound Scenes, Memorable Characters, and Resonant Connections to Yesterday and Today

Notes and Links to Jon Hickey’s Work

 

 

   Jon Hickey is a writer from Minnesota. He earned an MFA from Cornell University and was a Stegner Fellow in fiction at Stanford University. His short stories have appeared in numerous journals such as Virginia Quarterly Review, Gulf Coast, and the Massachusetts Review, among other places.

He is a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa Indians (Anishinaabe). He lives in San Francisco with his wife and two sons.

Buy Big Chief

 

Jon Hickey's Website

 

Book Review for Big Chief in San Francisco Chronicle

 

At about 1:35, Jon talks about his mindset and early feedback for his novel as Pub Day approaches 

At about 3:25, Jon gives out social media and contact info and talks about book events that are upcoming 

At about 5:15, “Midwest/Minnesota Nice” is discussed 

At about 8:45, Jon mentions exciting advance praise for Big Chief

At about 9:45, Jon gives background on language loss in his family, as his grandparents were the “boarding school generation”

At about 11:30, Jon talks about how Anishinaabe functions as a language, and how it is both in his DNA and “mysterious” 

At about 13:15, John traces his childhood reading, including Stephen King as a transformative writer

At about 17:20, John chronicles inspiring and thrilling writers and works and the wonderful writing programs he was part of

At about 18:20, Jon charts the huge imprint that Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man has left on him

At about 22:00, Kyle Edwards and his Small Ceremonies, as well as Kate Folk and her Sky Daddy , are mentioned as contemporary works/writers who thrill and challenge Jon

At about 24:20, Pete lays out some of Big Chief’s exposition

At about 25:55, Jon responds to Pete asking about how Jon pictures the book’s narrator and protagonist

At about 29:00, Mack, the tribal president in the book, is described

At about 30:00, Jon responds to Pete wondering about motivations for Mitch related to bullying and feelings of being an outsider from his childhood

At about 32:15, Ideas of power in politics are discussed

At about 34:10, Ideas of authenticity and genuineness and morality are discussed, in connection to politics and voting in the book and beyond, especially regarding Joe Beck

At about 35:40, Jon riffs on what he kept in mind while writing the book, with regard to moralizing as an author

At about 39:00, Jon responds to Pete’s question about blood quantum and similar ideas and how the discourses have changed or not

At about 42:40, Jon talks about tropes and irony and “outward signs” of being indigenous, and how that is reflected in his book’s cover and in society at large

At about 43:40, The title and its inspiration is discussed  

At about 45:50, Jon reads a representative excerpt that speaks of themes of belonging, and Pete and Jon further discuss ideas of childhood’s impacts on adulthood

At about 47:15, Jon discusses the significance of Mack’s protection of Mitch, and Mitch’s self-esteem and power’s connection to cynicism

At about 51:10, Mack and his bearing and his motivations are discussed

At about 52:00, a pivotal and tragic event-Mitch’s mother’s death-and the subsequent fire vigil is discussed 

At about 55:45, The book’s upcoming election and sabotage and Gloria are discussed, with a tip of the cat to Harvey Keitel in calling Mitch a “fixer”

At about 1:00:20, Mitch and his cynicism and his work on the campaign are explored, with connections to current political climates 

At about 1:02:15, the platforms of the two candidates and ideas of banishment from the tribe are considered 

At about 1:05:50, Pete wonders if Mack is a Trump-ish figure, and Jon reflects on how he has tried to write about identity through tribal politics 

At about 1:10:00, Pete and Jon ponder the “void” within Mitch and talk about the local political and larger political world collide 

At about 1:12:05, Pete compliments the “beautiful” ending, and the two discuss the Sopranos ending, and Jon discusses his mindset in crafting his book’s ending

At about 1:14:40, Jon outlines changes in the book’s previous permutations 

At about 1:16:40, Jon defines what is what for him a “work of art”

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    Please tune in for Episode 280 with Jahmal Mayfield, who writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. His stellar SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones’ passionate viral video, “How can we win?”

The episode airs on April 15.