ARCHIVE – Drew Hayden Taylor
Drew Hayden Taylor is an Ojibway from the Curve Lake First Nations in Ontario. He has worn many hats in his literary career, from performing stand-up comedy at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to being Artistic Director of Canada’s premiere Native theatre company, Native Earth Performing Arts. He has been an award-winning playwright, journalist, short-story writer, novelist, scriptwriter and documentarian. As a writer/creator, he strives to educate and inform the world about issues that interfere with, reflect on and celebrate the lives of Canada’s First Nations. His new book, Me Artsy, is the third in a series that includes Me Funny and Me Sexy.
Me Artsy
What inspires the artistic spirit? Me Artsy explores this question through the lens of how First Nations culture can influence the ways contemporary Indigenous artists express themselves. Taylor draws together the stories of these Indigenous artists to reveal the unique and connected elements. The 14 essay contributor pursue a creative array of disciplines. Their concerns include the eternal ones that occupy artists everywhere – how does one get started, where do you find inspiration, how does one make a living. What makes Me Artsy special is that all these concerns are always overlaid with an awareness of First Nations identity.