Him Standing

Ojibway artist Lucas Smoke, born on the res and now living in a city, has the power to carve a remarkable wood likeness of any face in front of him. After the darkly mysterious Gareth Knight offers him a large commission, Lucas begins having dreams and nightmares, and carving the face he sees in them. The project links him to an ancient evil that will consume him body and soul unless he can find light again with the help of his girlfriend, Amy One Sky; glass artist Sally Whitebird; and Lucas’s deceased grandfather. Wagamese (Runaway Dreams) puts Lucas at the center of a basic good-versus-evil tale that nonetheless has the feel of legend. Mixed in is the nice irony of Knight’s evil dreams slowly introducing Lucas to his own heritage. What the story lacks in depth and detail, it makes up for with a concisely simple but strong narrative told in Lucas’s engaging voice. Agents: Chris Casuccio and John Pearce, Westwood Creative Artists. (Apr.)