I hit the wall. I’ve hit the wall a few times during this pandemic. Fear, doubt, loneliness, exhaustion, anger, mania, depression. All of it. Wear your masks, keep your distance, stay at home. We’ve done this for months. We’ll do it for more months. How many months? We don’t know. I tell my friends and family that I’ll see them in 2021. I worry about the economy. About my job. About everybody’s jobs. About all these kids missing school. Missing major development stages. And what about the epic loneliness of the people who live alone? I think of the sick and dying. And the dead. So much loss. Epic loss and grief. The world is hurting. The world is mourning. I made this photo montage tonight to give myself an autobiographical pep talk. To remind myself of my strength. I encourage you to make a photo montage that tells the story of your strength. That’s me in December, 2015, prepping for an 8-hour brain surgery to remove a meningioma. That’s me and Diane at home, two weeks after my surgery, celebrating New Year’s Eve with apple cider. That’s me, six weeks after brain surgery, taking the most joyous shot of my life. That’s me, eight weeks after surgery, posing with the neurosurgeon who saved me. Make your photo montage. Celebrate your strength. Show your friends and family. Share your strength. #covidlife #pandemiclife #meningioma #harborviewmedicalcenter #neurosurgery #strength #basketball #peptalk #neurology #physicaltherapy #setshot #fitnesstrainer

Long ago, once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away—meaning 2019, pre-pandemic—Diane and I roamed and Indian-ed up the whole country. Well, at least a few parts of it. #lummination #evanadams #drevanadams #columbuscircle #irony #seatacairport #academyofartsandletters #indigenous #nativeamerican #hidatsa #hochunknation #potawatomi #spokanetribe #coeurdalenetribe #nostalgia

I just learned from Larry Estes, our film producer, that Smoke Signals opened 22 years ago today! Our movie was celebrated upon its release and it remains hugely popular in the Indian world. There are constant Smoke Signals memes. Indians dress as Thomas and Victor every year on Halloween. If you say, “Hey, Victor,” in any group of Indians, you’ll get a big laugh. It remains the only film directed (Hey, Chris!), written, and co-produced by Natives to receive major national and international distribution. I hope other Native films rise like that soon. Please remember that non-Native people helped make this movie happen. Executives (Amy!”) and producers (Larry!) and music (BC!) and crew and actors. Thanks to all of them. Here are a few photos from the Smoke Signals cultural world. And a shot of Adam Beach with my father on set on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation. Yep, Smoke Signals shot some scenes ACROSS THE STREET from where my father was born. Waaaaaay Indian! #chriseyre #smokesignals #smokesignalsmovie #heyvictor #adambeach #evanadams #tantoocardinal #garyfarmer #nationalfilmregistry #johnwaynesteeth #irenebedard #rezlife #rezmemes #indigenous #nativeamerican #wayindian #grovepress #sundancefilmfestival #sundanceorg #sundancenow #sundancesatter #larryestes

Today, while walking, Diane and I spotted the rare and elusive Constellation Mask perched on a railing. We quietly approached it and took this snapshot. We’re gonna submit it to the National Geographic photo contest. We think we have a great chance of being completely ignored. Plus we’re the envy of our neighborhood pandemic maskwatching group. #covidlife #facemask #constellation #natgeoyourshot #birdwatching #walking #seattle #neighborhoodwalk #lostandfound

This is one of the most nicely stocked little libraries I’ve ever seen. Mysteries. Thrillers. Butterflies. Office politics. Victor Hugo. And doggie treats! #littlefreelibrary #library #neighborhoodwalk #victorhugo #lesmiserables #fordummies

Hey, I’ve just published 9 new poems in Mudlark, an awesome online poetry magazine. I’ve published with Mudlark a few times over the years. These 9 poems are about powered milk, lakes, matchsticks, churches, newspapers, bread, and drums. Just hit the link up there in my bio to head over to Mudlark or cut and paste this URL: https://tinyurl.com/AlexiePoems #instagrampoetry #instapoem #instapoet #poem #poet #mudlarking

On Friday night, Diane and I sat in our backyard social-distance visiting with our next door neighbors as they sat in their backyard. Our neighbors are hilarious. We had a great time. I told my neighbors some crazy stories about book publicity tours, including the time I was in Prescott, Arizona, and returned to my hotel room and saw bellhops running down the hallway with butterfly nets. I was confused. “What are you doing?” I asked. One of the bellhops yelled, “We’re trying to catch the bat.” As I said the word “bat” in my story to our neighbors, a real bat flew in and swooped so low that my neighbor had to duck. Yeah, I have powers. Tonight, I’m gonna sit in my backyard and say “winning million-dollar lotto ticket” and “private concert by The National performing High Violet in its entirety” and “coronavirus vaccine.” #covidlife #cdcgov #prescottarizona #thenational #booktour #grovepress #socialdistancing #bats #science #unsplash

Here’s my late father, my big brother, and me. We’re posing in front of the Spokane Valley Cinemas to watch the first matinee on the opening day of Smoke Signals. This was in June, 1998. A high school classmate of mine also surprised us by being at that screening. That was so sweet and awesome. My father was often a quiet man. But he also liked to tell elaborate stories that were obviously lies. He claimed that he and a teammate once had to do all the events in a track meet because everybody else had a terrible flu. His teammate ran the long distance races and my father did everything else. Two against the world! And they won the meet! Such crap, right? Well, years later, I met that teammate and, over dinner, he said, “I remember this time when our high school was hit by a bad flu and your father and I were the only ones well enough to compete in a track meet.” Happy Father’s Day, Sherm, Sr., I miss you. Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. #fathersday #happyfathersday #nativeamerican #indigenous #spokanevalley #movies #smokesignals #smokesignalsmovie

Here are my little sisters, Kim and Arlene, wearing their Native-design face masks. They live and work on our reservation—on the rez. Yes, they’re twins. They’re only 373 days younger than me. We were babies together. I’m professionally funny but my sisters are everyday funny, which is a whole different skill. I can’t defeat them when it comes to loving-sibling, spoken-word, dinner-table, rez-neck insult wars. They just tease, tease, tease me. I love them so much. #rezlife #covidlife #wellpinit #spokanetribeofindians #nativeamerican #indigenous #indianhumor #indianreservation #sisters #twins

Nine years ago, I published “The Facebook Sonnet” in The New Yorker. I was just one of many who warned that social media could easily become a powerfully destructive force. But it has become more powerful and destructive than a semi-Luddite like me could’ve predicted. I started an Instagram because it seems like a more positive place to be. I want to be positive here. And, yes, I know that Facebook owns Instagram. Hypocrisy is a dish best served with French fries. #instapoem #instapoetry #poetry #poem #sonnet #newyorkermag #hypocrisy #poetsandwriters #facebook #facebooksonnet