About the Author

Thomas Doty was born in southern Oregon, where he still lives. He is descended from the Shasta and Takelma people who lived along the Klamath River in the village of Coyote's Paw, as well as from Irish and English settlers. He spent his youth exploring the backcountry with his dog Tippy, hiking, and camping with family and friends. Night after night, in the light of a campfire, he listened to stories about relatives who have called southern Oregon home for generations. Doty learned the art of storytelling from native elders. He currently travels the countryside performing Doty & Coyote: Stories from the Native West. A lover of journeys, he saunters through the places stories come from. He listens to folks tell their stories. He composes stories. Thomas Doty participates in a living oral tradition.

Reviews

"Doty is a master of both traditional and original Native American stories. His love and understanding of the magic of stories seems to be the source of his amazing talent, not to forget his twenty-eight years of experience."-- "Siskiyou, praise for Thomas Doty"

"I pray that Tom lives for a long, long time so that generations ahead can hear these stories."-- "Agnes Baker-Pilgrim (Taowhywee), Takelma Elder, Spiritual Leader, International Indigenous Grandmother"

"It is a rarity indeed when a friend comes along who can relate traditional Native American stories with such clarity and flair! He captures your imagination and transports you back to yesteryear."-- "Talking Quail, Cherokee Nation, praise for Thomas Doty"

"One of the best of Oregon's storytellers."-- "Shannon Applegate, author of Skookum, praise for Thomas Doty"

"Thomas Doty is a cultural treasure. From the Black Hills of South Dakota, to the deserts of the Southwest, to the Oregon Country, he is the best spinner of native myths I have ever heard. And I've heard quite a few."-- "Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelly (Clealls), Haida Elder, linguist and professor of journalism, Carleton University, Ottawa"

"Thomas Doty is a treasured Native American storyteller. He has the very real talent to interweave an ancient story with endless wonder and surprise while connecting both the story and the characters with today. When he tells the story, he becomes the character described and the audience is transported to that moment and place."-- "Gary Albright, director of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum"