 michael anthony dorris (january 30, 1945 â april 10, 1997) was an american novelist and scholar who was the first chair of the native american studies program at dartmouth. his works include the memoir, the broken cord (1989) and the novel, a yellow raft in blue water (1987). he was married to author louise erdrich and the two frequently collaborated in their writing. he committed suicide in 1997 while police were investigating allegations that he had abused his daughters. the broken cord, which won the 1989 national book critics circle award for general nonfiction, helped provoke congress to approve legislation to warn of the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. ==biography== michael dorris was born in louisville, kentucky to jim and mary besy (burkhardt) dorris. his father died before dorris was born (reportedly by suicide during wwii), and dorris was raised as an only child by his mother, who became a secretary for the democratic party. it has been reported that two maternal relatives also help raise him, either two aunts, or an aunt and his maternal grandmother. in his youth he spent summers with his father's relatives on reservations in washington and montana. in an article published in new york magazine two months after dorris's death, a reporter quoted the modoc 
1945_births 1997_deaths 20th-century_American_novelists American_children\'s_writers American_essayists American_memoirists Dartmouth_College_faculty Georgetown_University_alumni Guggenheim_Fellows Writers_from_Louisville,_Kentucky Writers_who_committed_suicide