Clan Beaver Page 2 - Duce cont'd -
Duce began to collect stories at an early age. His generation was the last to see and live the "old way." The atmosphere always fit the story. "Many, many summer nights were spent on old porches listening to grandma. All grandmothers were called "ma." These were hot, misty nights and almost every night you were visiting somebody or somebody was visiting you. They always sat on the front porch. The youngsters ran amok until a familiar warning was issued by Ma ..."Get over here and sit down before you see something you don't want to see." After all were seated and quiet, the ghost stories began. They scared the hell of you. Ma was the best storyteller.
Stories came from all people and at all times. Mothers and fathers told stories of their youthful reservation lives. Uncles would come by in the evenings, sit and smoke and tell drinking, hunting or war stories. Everyone had a story to tell."
During the summer of 1972, Duce began to write a short collection of the stories he had heard all his life. The stories are compilations of many stories written into one story. Many Seneca readers have remarked that they remember hearing stories like these. Once beginning the work, he continued for nearly thirty-six hours before stopping. The manuscript was finished. He simply put it away thinking he would get to it in a few years.
In 1987, he finished the final product and began to seriously think of publication. He submitted his work to the top publishing houses and finally found out what the infamous rejection slip looked like. He began to search the market literature and libraries for the well-known writers of Native American material. He discovered the name of Joseph Bruchac. Mr. Bruchac operates the Greenfield Review Press operation.
In 1988, Duce and Joseph Bruchac met in Olean, New York. As a result of this meeting, Duce was invited to submit some of his stories to be included in the new anthology being published by the Greenfield Review Press, "New Voices From The Longhouse." The book was well-received. The following summer, Greenfield Review Press published the entire manuscript and was titled: "One More Story."
You can reach me by email at [email protected]
BACK
NEXT
HOME