“Poetry [Film] = Anger × Imagination”: Intermediality, the Synthesis of Poetry and Film, and Cross-Cultural Belonging in Sherman Alexie’s The Business of Fancydancing

Abstract:This article sheds light on the interaction between practices of intermediality and identity formation in Alexie’s The Business of Fancydancing, which I read as an Indigenized version of the so-called poetry film. First, I give a short historical overview and definition of the genre of poetry film, reflect upon the concept of intermediality, and connect these generic and theoretical considerations to Alexie’s conception of his art. I then analyze the practices of intermediality in The Business of Fancydancing, that is, the conjunction of poetry and film through adaptation, intermedial referencing, and media combination. My readings of selected sequences illustrate that Alexie combines poetry, film, and Indigenous experience to challenge the human tendency to categorize, to attribute fixed and stable qualities to category members, and to define rigid boundaries between us and them. By exploring the interstices between media, genres, and cultures, he foregrounds the tremendous potential of Indigenous art to decenter both hegemonic artistic forms and practices of identity formation.