COYOTE REDUX

An offbeat Native American-themed story of a legendary being whose mysticism collides with contemporary culture.

A lively, animated debate among a doctor, a professor and his wife considers the disposition of Coyote, an animal-god popular to many Native American cultures. Is Coyote a creative force to be reckoned with? A mean-spirited trickster? Or an “inflated avatar”? The text barely addresses these issues. Instead, opening chapters unleash poetic stories of the omnipotent deity, colliding and co-existing with modern society. The authors’ narrative embraces more of a comedic spirit rather than an overtly divine one as Coyote wrestles with notions of love and seeks advice on how to seduce a female, Coyota, whom he quickly marries–eventually spawn a family of cubs. Therapy ensues, he is hilariously diagnosed with “dual personality bipolar disorder,” followed by a mayoral election and an encounter with a hypnotic appliance–television. Coyote’s adventures are minimal, but collectively they provide a winding tale about emerging consciousness and self-discovery. A cursory glance into his outward preconceptions leads to more pondering as Coyote discusses the differences between the sexes, then contemplates the paradox of excessive wealth while longingly coveting a horse’s genitalia. War finds him crouching in hazardous trenches with a host of high-ranking militia, but it winds up being the other smaller, tastier forest animals who rally to plot Coyote’s demise. Whether he’s calling his mistress from the woods on his cell phone or getting sunburned on vacation, Coyote’s escapades are effectively interwoven as they progress, increasingly exposing our hero to the often erratic, irrational modern behavior of the contemporary world. Silly, yet brimming with creativity and biting wit, this take on numinous Indian folklore ends with even more indecision from the troika of debaters it begins with.

Quirky, spiritual and intellectually creative.