Book excerpt: A young Native American struggling with the two constants in his life—alcohol and art—in this prize-winning short story collection. Eddie Chuculate’s collection of linked short stories follows Jordan Coolwater from bored child to thoughtful teenager, struggling artist, escaped convict, and finally, father. Gritty, funny, and deeply perceptive, Cheyenne Madonna offers an unsentimental portrait of America, of its dispossessed, its outlaws, and its visionaries. The first story in this debut collection, “Galveston Bay, 1826,” won an O. Henry Prize, and the second, “Yo Yo,” received a Pushcart Prize Special Mention. Admirers of the short stories of Jim Harrison and Annie Proulx will appreciate Chuculate’s steady, confident prose rooted in American realism. “Every sentence is unexpected, yet infallible.” —Ursula K. LeGuin “Eddie Chuculate emerges as an important new talent in his generation of storytellers. He’s a kind of journalist of the soul as he investigates the broken-hearted nation of Indian men.” —Joy Harjo, United States Poet Laureate