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Michael Anthony Dorris was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 30, 1945, to a family of modest means. His mother, Mary Hodge Dorris, was a homemaker, and his father, Aloysius Dorris, was a truck driver. Michael was the eldest of eight children, and was raised in a strict Catholic household. When he was eleven years old, his family moved to Lyndon, Indiana, where he attended Catholic schools.
As a teenager, Dorris began to rebel against his religious upbringing, and started experimenting with drugs and alcohol. He dropped out of high school and joined the Army, where he served as a medic in Vietnam. Upon his return to the United States, Dorris enrolled in a community college and then transferred to Georgetown University, where he studied anthropology. It was during his time at Georgetown that Dorris met his future wife, Louise Erdrich. The couple had three children together, and Dorris adopted Erdrich’s daughter from a previous relationship.
The family settled in Minnesota, where Dorris taught anthropology at the University of Minnesota.In 1987, Dorris published his first novel, The Broken Cord”, which was based on his own experience as the father of a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. The book was a critical and commercial success, and established Dorris as an important new voice in Native American literature.Dorris continued to write and publish throughout the rest of his life, producing novels, essays, and children’s books. He committed suicide in 1997, at the age of 52.
Michael Dorris was a prolific writer who authored numerous books, articles, and essays during his lifetime. As an essayist, Dorris was known for his clear, concise, and often personal writing style. In terms of subject matter, Dorris typically wrote about topics related to Native American culture and history.
When crafting an essay about Michael Dorris, it is important to keep in mind the writer’s background and focus. Dorris was a member of the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma and grew up on the Modoc Indian Reservation in Oregon. As a result, many of his writings deal with issues facing Native Americans. In addition, Dorris was adopted into a white family as a child and spent much of his life exploring his dual heritage. As such, his writings often explore the complexities of race and identity.
When beginning your essay, it might be helpful to start with a brief overview of Dorris’ life and work. This can provide context for the topics you plan to discuss in your essay. From there, you can narrow your focus to a specific aspect of Dorris’ writing that you find particularly interesting or relevant.
For example, you might discuss the ways in which Dorris’ personal experiences inform his writing, or you might analyze a specific essay in terms of its structure or argument. Whatever approach you take, be sure to support your claims with evidence from Dorris’ work.
Michael Dorris was a writer, teacher, and activist. He was best known for his novel The Broken Cord, which told the story of his adopted son’s battle with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Dorris was also a co-founder of the Native American Rights Fund. He died in 1997.
In conclusion, Michael Dorris was an amazing writer whose work has had a profound impact on the literary world. His novels, short stories, and essays are all incredibly moving and provide readers with a new perspective on life. His work will continue to inspire new generations of writers for years to come.
