James, a mixed-blood Navajo in his twenties . . . begins his life-transforming odyssey: getting used to ranch-life, getting into alcohol-drug trouble and serving jail-time, working as a tour-guide at Hubbell Trading Post, getting involved with heavy metal rez band, Putrefaction, in which he plays guitar. A Navajo story, a good one! Yes, read it.--Simon J. Ortiz, Acoma Pueblo native, author of Out There Somewhere and from Sand Creek
. . . a brutal beauty fills the pages of Warren Perkins's novel, Putrefaction Live. With the goregrind of heavy metal as background music, Perkins foregrounds the contemporary world of Diné with the authority of an insider. This is a novel about disintegration and rejuvenation among a new generation of Navajo warriors seasoned by a century of culture wars on their homeland. Bold, honest, and refreshingly original, this is an important book, as enlightening as it is captivating.--Ann Marie Cummins, author of Yellowcake and Red Ant House: Stories
Written in precise and elegant language, Perkins' novel is a fascinating coming-of-age story about a young boy caught between the past and the future, between the urban wasteland of Arizona's new cities and the gorgeous untouched natural landscape of the Navaho reservation. This is a terrific book!--Susan Cheever, author of Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction
