Thomas King
Thomas King, born on April 24, 1943, in Sacramento, California, is a prominent author and academic of Greek and Cherokee descent. His early life was marked by the absence of his father, leading him to be raised by his mother and spend significant time with his Cherokee relatives in Oklahoma. After earning his degrees in English and American studies, King has held teaching positions in various universities across the United States and Canada, often focusing on Native American studies. His writings, aimed primarily at Native American audiences, delve into the complexities of identity, culture, and representation within a predominantly White society.
King's notable works include the novels *Medicine River* and *Green Grass, Running Water*, which address themes of alienation, cultural stereotypes, and the historical omission of Native Americans from mainstream narratives. He is recognized for his ability to blend humor with serious social commentary, using popular culture references to critique the treatment of Native Americans. Over his career, King has received multiple awards for his contributions to literature and storytelling, including the Writer's Guild of Alberta Best Novel Award and the PEN/Josephine Miles Award. His more recent works, such as *The Inconvenient Indian* and the *DreadfulWater Mysteries* series, continue to explore and challenge perceptions of Native identity while resonating with a broad audience.
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Subject Terms
Thomas King
- Born: April 24, 1943
- Place of Birth: Sacramento, California
Biography
Thomas King was born on April 24, 1943, in Sacramento, California, to Robert Hunt and Kathryn K. King. He is of Greek and Native American descent; his father was Cherokee. Abandoned by his father as a young child, King was raised by his mother but spent time with his Cherokee relatives on reservations in Oklahoma.
After graduating from high school, King traveled abroad and began writing about his journeys. He returned to the United States and enrolled in California State University at Chico, earning his B.A. in 1970 and his M.A. in 1972, both in English. He received his Ph.D. in American studies and English from the University of Utah in 1986. King worked as a photojournalist in New Zealand and Australia in the 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, he taught English and Native American studies and directed American Indian history programs at the University of Utah; the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
King is both a Canadian and an American citizen, and he often ignores the border separating the two countries. He lives and teaches in Canada but has never felt completely Canadian since he was born in the United States, and there are no Cherokees in Canada. King’s primary audience consists of Native Americans in both countries, and his writings explore the status of Native Americans within the wider White culture.
For example, his novel Medicine River (1990) examines the omission of Native Americans from White culture and history and the feelings of alienation caused by their exclusion. The novel also examines stereotypes applied to Native Americans and how Native Americans often perpetuate these false images. His novel Green Grass, Running Water (1993) is about four ancient American Indian spirits who are confined to an insane asylum by Whites who do not understand who the spirits are. The spirits are able to escape from the asylum periodically to prevent environmental disasters from happening. The book handles Native American culture and stereotypes humorously.
In 1990, King received the Writer’s Guild of Alberta Best Novel Award, the PEN/Josephine Miles Award, and the American Indian Film Festival Best Screenplay award for Medicine River. He was nominated for the Canadian Governor General’s Award for A Coyote Columbus Story in 1992 and for Green Grass, Running Water in 1993. Green Grass, Running Water was also nominated for the Canadian Authors Award for Fiction. He also received the Aboriginal Media Arts Radio Award for Dead Dog Café Comedy Hour.
King's later works include Truth and Bright Water (1999); The Truth About Stories (2003); the short story collection A Short History of Indians in Canada (2005), which won the McNally Robinson Award; and The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (2012), which was adapted into a film in 2020; and The Back of the Turtle (2014). In addition to writing, King made his directorial debut with the short film I'm Not the Indian You Had in Mind in 2007.
In 2002, King published DreadfulWater Shows Up under the pen name Hartley GoodWeather. The book was the first in the DreadfulWater Mysteries, the second of which was published in 2006 also under the name Hartley GoodWeather. Both novels were reprinted under King's name in 2017 before the next three novels in the series—Cold Skies (2018), A Matter of Malice (2019), and Obsidian (2020)—were released. He also published the novel Indians on Vacation in 2020. In 2021, King published Sufferance, and in 2022, he added to the DreadfulWater Mysteries with Deep House.
King handles stereotypes surrounding Native American culture and the treatment of Native Americans as second-class citizens through humor and popular culture references. In doing so, his work sheds light and understanding on the plight of Native Americans.
Bibliography
Baird, Daniel and Brian John Busby. "Thomas King." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 20 Aug. 2024, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thomas-king. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
David, Daniel. "Thomas King, Still Not the Indian You Had in Mind." The Globe and Mail, 19 July 2012, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/thomas-king-still-not-the-indian-you-had-in-mind/article4426067. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
King, Thomas. "An Extended Conversation with Celebrated Author Thomas King." Interview by Rosanna Deerchild. CBC, 2016, www.cbc.ca/player/play/2696320680. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
"Thomas King." English-Canadian Writers, Athabasca University, 12 Feb. 2015, canadian-writers.athabascau.ca/english/writers/tking.php. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
"Thomas King." Penguin Random House Canada, www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/authors/15740/thomas-king. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
“Thomas King Books & Biography.” HarperCollins Canada, 2023, www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-100072/thomas-king/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
"Thomas King's novel Deep House delivers humour and pathos wrapped in a mystery. CBC Radio, 24 July 2022, www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapter/full-episode-june-25-2022-1.6497984/thomas-king-s-novel-deep-house-delivers-humour-and-pathos-wrapped-in-a-mystery-1.6500280. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.