Greg Sarris: On Writing About Our Connection with the Environment

Greg Sarris is an accomplished author, university professor, and tribal leader serving his 16th term as Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and his first term as board chair of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. In 1992, he co-authored the Graton Rancheria Restoration Act, which restored federal recognition and associated rights to the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo Native Americans of California, including the right to reestablish tribal lands.

Sarris graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles and received his Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford. He has taught American and American Indian Literature, and Creative Writing at UCLA, Stanford, Loyola Marymount University, and Sonoma State University. Currently, he serves as a member of the Board of Regents for the University of California and is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Sarris is also a producer, playwright, and the author of several books, including the award-winning How a Mountain Was Made (2017), starred Kirkus review Becoming Story (2022), and Grand Avenue (1995), which he adapted for an HBO film and co-produced with Robert Redford. He is co-executive producer of Joan Baez: I Am A Noise (2023) and his most-recent short story “Citizen” (2023) was adapted by San Francisco’s Word for Word theater and was lauded as a “lush […] linguistic feast” by the San Francisco Chronicle. Visit his website at Greg-Sarris.com, and follow him on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

Greg Sarris

In this interview, Greg discusses what he hopes readers take away from his new story collection, The Forgetters, his advice for other writers, and more!

Name: Greg Sarris
Book title: The Forgetters: Stories
Publisher: Heyday Books
Release date: April 16, 2024
Genre/category: Native American & Aboriginal, Magical Realism, Nature & the Environment
Previous titles: Keeping Slug Woman Alive (1993), Grand Avenue (1994), Watermelon Nights (1998), How a Mountain Was Made (2017), Becoming Story (2022)
Elevator pitch: Told in the classic style of Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok creation stories, The Forgetters is a tender and compelling story cycle about the people who have forgotten their roots and consequently hurt the Earth and each other. Masterfully infusing magical realism with the history of Indigenous lands, Sarris urges readers to remember our shared lineage and honor our interconnectedness with the environment.

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What prompted you to write this book?

Given so many of the world’s problems today, I remembered many of the stories that my Native elders had told me about healing and the way to lead a sustainable life for oneself and others, and I incorporated so many of these stories into this collection of stories told by the two crows, Answer Woman and Question Woman.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

The idea had been there quite a while because I had also done a collection of creation tales that had been told to me from my Native elders. It took me about a year to write these stories and then they attracted Heyday Press, who then were quite prompt in getting the book of stories out.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I guess I was most surprised by the enthusiasm of early readers at Heyday as well as friends. So, I kept writing the stories entertaining those who were interested. As the stories moved along, I found them getting richer and deeper while portraying the same themes of living well with one another and the environment.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

The writing came quite easy, which is always a surprise for a writer. But at times, the stories took interesting turns, and I had faith enough to follow those turns.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

In a world that has so many troubles, I’m hopeful that readers will find first of all, enjoyment and peace, and then be able to think about and use the stories as ways to think about their own lives in healthy ways to live in the world today.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Keep writing! As I’ve always told my students, don’t write to become wealthy or famous, but because you have to write. Your own story—your own life experience—is the wealth you have as a writer. Use that wealth and don’t be

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