Dennis E. Staples is an Ojibwe writer from northern Minnesota and an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation. He received his Master of Fine Arts in fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts and then graduated from Clarion West Writers Workshop in 2018. In a 2020 interview with Debutiful, Staples discussed growing up in a large Ojibwe family, saying that both his mother and grandmother both loved to read, which influenced his love for literature early on. Although he initially pursed accounting at Bemidji State University, he seemed to just naturally gravitated toward English and Creative Writing. Staples has shown he naturally draws toward speculative fiction, a genre that allows him to combine fantastical elements with deeply emotional story telling. As he explained in the Debutiful interview, speculative fiction appeals to him because it allows readers to immerse themselves in these worlds/realities with the raw emotions of the characters. (Explores) This combination of the supernatural and the personal is central to his debut novel, This Town Sleeps. Staples pulls from his Ojibwe heritage and his familiarity with northern Minnesota to create a story that explores identity, family history, sexuality, and also the spiritual world. Rather than treating Indigenous culture as something disconnected or not for modern society.
Blending Supernatural Horror & Small Town Mystery
Published in 2020, Dennis E. Staples debut novel This Town Sleep, is a work of literacy fiction that seamlessly blends supernatural horror/mystery & queer romance. Set in the Ojibwe reservation, community of Languille Lake in northern Minnesota. The novel follows Marion Lafournier, a gay Ojibwe man in his mid-twenties who struggles to find his place in his hometown. Upon returning to his hometown, after an unsuccessful stint in the Twin Cities. Marion gets into a secret relationship with a character named Shannon Harstad. He’s a white man & former high school classmate who also struggles with his sexuality. Marion puts the relationship on the line after he ends up encountering a spirit of a dog, which leads him to a grave a local community basketball star who was murdered years prior. As he investigates this death he uncovers the town’s secrets along with some of his own personal circle having involvement. Staples does a significant job in the novel with how he pairs supernatural horror with the ordinary, small town life. While the murder does provide suspense and mystery, This Town Sleeps is also deeply tied to the emotional history connection of character. Shannon’s and Marion’s relationship explores the friction between living openly gay compared to not, particularly by a small community held together by traditions. Staples novel is admirable in how ther supernatural serves as a lens to show how the pasts continues to haunt and shape the present.
Childhood Memory to Ghost Story
Dennis’s treatment of Ojibwe spiritually is central to the novels core. In his interview with Debutiful, Staples explained that the book originated from a childhood memory about a stray dog that died beneath a merry-go-round. He started the work around the idea of bringing that dog back to life. (Explores) This origin story is neat because it demonstrates how a simple grounded childhood memory can become the foundation for a supernatural fiction. Staples takes something familiar and transforms it into something unsettling, allowing the uncanny and the everyday to intertwine. Furthermore, the novel also challenges the assumption that Indigenous stories must focus exclusively on historical settings. The characters navigate modern relationships, personal frustrations, and questions of identity, all while remaining connected to Ojibwe traditions and spiritual beliefs. The result is a story where the supernatural is not separate from reality, but rather another lens for understanding it.
Critical Reception
Overall the reviews were mixed but Staples distinctive voice & nuanced portrayal of Indigenous culture was acknowledged and praised. In the Kirkus review, the novel was described as a “knotty portrait of Ojibwe life with some winningly uncanny touches.” The review praised Staples ability to blend humor, supernatural elements, & rich cultural detail. But they also noted that the narrative becomes increasingly complicated as it introduces new characters & late story revelations. The Kirkus review highlights the book’s expansive portrayal of interconnected lives, though that can slow the central mystery’s momentum. Claude Peck from Minnesota Star Tribune wrote on This Town Sleeps as well. Peck noted on Staples perspective on reservation life by choosing to depict the hardships and gloss over them, as well as its traditions and familiar landscapes. Peck also mentions how much insight he has into each character, and how that insight effects more then the plot itself. Other critics emphasized the novel’s emotional depth & queer representation. Book Marks also emphasized Staples characterization & approach to complex relationships in the books multi-layered structure.
Staples, Dennis E. This Town Sleeps: A Novel. Counterpoint, 2020, https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/this-town-sleeps/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
I thought this blog was cool, I wrote about a horror story too. I think it's interesting how a spirit of a dog leads him to murder, like out of all things a dog.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great write-up on how the book connects a childhood memory with the supernatural. I like how it shows modern Indigenous characters dealing with real-life issues while still honoring their traditions.
ReplyDeleteThis author seems pretty cool, and a great job on the blog. I love horror stories and the small town horror makes it even better.
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with many native authors, so reading about Dennis was interesting! I have recently got into horror literature so I think his books would be right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteThis writer is pretty cool, the blog looks nicely done and well put together. I also do love horror.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great breakdown of the novel and author. You did a great job at highlighting important aspects.
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