my favorite blue-eyed Ojibway

I have been smitten with Drew Hayden Taylor since I read his play, Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth, in 1998. He is very talented. He is also cute (sorry Drew, but you are), and by turns cheeky, sarcastic and thoughtful. Drew had lunch with me today to promote Me Funny, a collection of essays he edited on Native humor.

Drew is one of a rare breed: a writer who actually makes a living from writing. He's an award-winning playwright (Toronto at Dreamer's Rock), author (Fearless Warriors), columnist (Funny You Don't Look Like One: Observations of a Blue-Eyed Ojibway), documentary film maker (Redskins, Tricksters and Puppy Stew) and now lecturer on aboriginal culture.

Me Funny is an irreverent, insightful look at the humor, wittiness and repartee of Canada's First Nations, written by a stellar list of contributors that includes Tomson Highway, Don Kelly and Thomas King. It is both academic and raucous, with jokes to make the most politically correct of us squirm.

We talked of Drew's performance at the Kennedy Centre, the German love of all things Indian and his new vampire novel for young adults. Here is his site.