OLD SCHOOL INDIAN
Why The Windows Have To Be Open When Writing Poetry Writing as Craft Amanda Wells July 18, 2025 Aaron John Curtis | The PEN Ten The restorative and revelatory journey in Old School Indian, the debut novel by Aaron John Curtis , explores the impact that culture, community, and history have on an individual. Two decades after leaving the reservation where he was raised, Abe Jacobs, now a part-time poet in Miami whose marriage is about to collapse, is diagnosed with a rare disease that doctors believe will kill him. Returning to the Rez, where he grew up, Abe agrees to undergo traditional healing by his Great Uncle Budge despite his skepticism, and finds a new path forward with writing, healing, his family, and his relationship. (Zando – Hillman Grad Books, 2025) In conversation with Digital Safety & Free Expression Program Coordinator Amanda Wells for this week’s PEN Ten, Curtis explains the importance of oral histor...
