The Toughest Indian in the World

I am currently reading this collection of stories by Sherman Alexie. I'd read a few of his stories before--he's one of the few Native American writers I'm familiar with. And I wanted to read this collection because of the title story. Geoff Becker had told my short fiction class about it. In a nutshell, it's about the clash between the Native Americans who more or less successfully escape the reservation and those who can't. And it's about guilt and ambivalence and desperation.

Alexie has got the goods. When you read one of his stories--maybe not all of them, but many of them--you can feel the magic happening. I don't know what creates it or how to describe it. It's just there. And I'm guessing it's one of those things that can't be taught. ;) I haven't read any of his novels, but I want to, although it seems rare to find an author who laces all genres with that magic. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone who does it. Can you?