Novelist spans life in Alaska and Minneapolis

Mattox Roesch
Mattox Roesch, until recently split his time between Minneapolis and Unanlakleet, a small village in rural Alaska. He wrote most of his novel "Sometimes we're always real same-same" in Minnesota, even though it's set in the village.
MPR photo/Euan Kerr

Until recently, writer Mattox Roesch split his time between Minneapolis and the small village in rural Alaska where his wife grew up.

So it's not surprising that he set his first novel, called "Sometimes we're always real same-same," in that village.

What is somewhat surprising is his narrator is a young gang member.

Roesch says that part of the story came from his time in Minneapolis when he discovered that a young friend was in jail. Roesch says he had no idea the teenager was a leading a double life.

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