Author defends use of slur at Naperville North but apologizes

Author Sherman Alexie says he stands by the strong language he used in his recent speech at Naperville North High School, but apologizes to anyone it may have offended.

Alexie's use of a racial slur last week during a presentation at the school prompted a handful of angry students to walk out in protest and stirred a controversy that carried into this week.

Author of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," Alexie was speaking about his experiences growing up in poverty and the prejudice he endured as the only American Indian at an all-white high school.

"What makes me most sad is the kids I most offended are the ones the book is written for," he said Thursday. "I apologize to them for causing pain and I can only hope the administrators and teachers at that school are attempting to show these kids exactly how much my book is written for them."

Alexie used a derogatory racial term, along with a strong profanity, when relaying a story about prejudice that appears in his book.

He said using the exact words were necessary "because that was what was said. And to blunt the hatred of that insult blunts the incredible obstacles my character had to face."

Principal Ross Truemper said Thursday he's glad to hear Alexie apologized. He and Alexie both expressed their hope the author's message of overcoming obstacles got through to most students, despite the uproar triggered by some of his word choices.

"I'm hoping his resiliency, where he started from and how successful he's become overcoming so many barriers, would be a great thing for our students to aspire to," Truemper said.

Alexie has given the same speech in a variety of schools -- large and small, racially diverse and mostly white, public and private. He said no similar incidents have occurred.

At North, he said he felt like he entered "the perfect storm" -- it was the end of a half-day of classes and there was a big football game that night causing elevated emotions. He also said other times he's talked to groups that large, the students were often already familiar with his work.

Truemper said he believes a smaller group of students who had read Alexie's writings -- as was the case when Alexie spoke that same day at Naperville Central High School -- would have had more context as to the comments. He said he would have liked for Alexie to have taken that into consideration before speaking at a large-scale assembly.

But many students did enjoy the talk. Alexie said roughly 100 stayed after to talk to him and ask for autographs. He also is receiving e-mails from students who had a positive response to his presentation.

On Wednesday, students had discussions with staff about Alexie's appearance -- both about his message and the language he used, Truemper said.

Alexie made several appearances in Naperville last week, including one at Anderson's Bookshop and another at the annual Harvest Pow Wow at Naper Settlement. Neither of those appearances caused any controversy.