Midnight Son
By: James Dommek Jr., Josephine Holtzman, Isaac Kestenbaum / Narrated By: James Dommek Jr.
Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
Tho’ a bit scattered and kinda sorta doesn’t wind everything up, ‘twas easy to listen to it all at one sitting… and be spooked!
First off, lemme just get this outta the way: If you’re twitchy about real people using real language, run, run like… HECK away from this book. Cuz there are real individuals who do NOT have the easiest of lives and surprise surprise, they might indeed drop the F-word whenst they speak.
Now, who am I to get all twitchy about such things as I do so enjoy bios and memoirs that capture the true essence of a person? I LOVE the way people talk and hey! This is a work of true crime nonfiction, so guess what? Sh** happens.
Okay, let’s go onto what I’m increasingly becoming aware of. It’s turning out that I’m reeeeeally liking all these Audible Originals that are recorded conversations, interviews with people involved, soundtracks in the background or in between chapters… you name it, I’m loving it! And so we have this, Midnight Son, as written and experienced by James Dommek Jr. and don’t eeeeeven ask me how to spell his Native name as it’s beyond me and pretty much every other person he’s encountered in the non-Native aspects of his life. So I’m not feeling tooo bad for being the only dork out there.
Dommek is a direct descendant of the last of the storytellers, and with this production he’s trying to make sense of a story that’s come to him, not fully formed, but haunting nonetheless. He wants to know just what happened when Teddy Kyle Smith snapped, assumedly killed his mother, shot at those who arrived to help, then booked it into the Alaskan bush only to do pretty godawful things whilst out there in the wilderness.
It follows law enforcement as they sought Smith; and Dommek interviews not only the victims of Smith but also Smith’s brother who will stand by his side, expressing fury at those who would judge, till the end of time.
It opens with Teddy Kyle Smith announcing over area radio that his mother is dead and that he’s killed her. When help arrives, Smith runs with a rifle, takes shots at those wanting to ask him questions, does deplorable things to others. Then when he peaceably is taken in, he offers tales of seeing a tribe of Alaskan Natives who have thus far been relegated to legend and folklore.
The story takes a turn from Smith to discuss indigenous culture vs. white justice system as Smith proclaims he didn’t attempt murder so much as felt these People of tribal lore were trying to kill him, and he was crazed with fright. Is it an insanity defense? Is that even fair as to Dommek and everyone he knows, they’ve aaaaallll heard of these People since they were kids; it’s very real to them. So things get quite interesting—
—And then that goes nowhere. Dommek offers it up, and it’s tantalizing and rather galling to think of the unfairness of it and add it to the long list of past and continuing atrocities. But really, it’s just brought up and then Dommek is off, after he’s unable to interview a MULtitude of key people, Smith included, to go into the bush and step in the steps Smith took as he ran from the law. There’s a bit of creepiness as sounds are heard, as in: Who’s Out There?!?
And then that goes nowhere. Soon Dommek has survived Smith’s trail and has come back to his friends, and that’s pretty much it. Still, ya have to hand it to the guy: He can write ominous like nobody’s business, and he can CERtainly spin a good yarn. This isn’t even 4 hours, so we’re talking a One-Sitting kinda Listen.
The production has Dommek’s own music, a compelling soundtrack. And I did so like that he interviewed elders, even if some said nothing, and others were all Yessss, They’re Out There but offered little in the way of stories. With the good soundtrack as background, and with Dommek narrating and asking questions in an open yet somehow furtive manner? AWEsome.
In the end, the Conclusion is a bit of a Non-Conclusion, but by then we’ve been treated to another way of life. It’s one where a man running with a rifle might not be a threat but just may INDEED be intent on suicide given the prevalence of suicides amongst indigenous cultures that struggle in the modern world where they’ve been forced over eeeeons to the fringes. It’s one where a man just might INDEED have witnessed a hidden group of People, a group that has continued to live just as they have for ages, away from a modernity that kills. It’s also a pretty awesome world where a neighbor HAS to offer you shelter and comfort if a blizzard blows up when you show up, unannounced, at their door.
A few plot holes? Sure. Gripping narrative?
You betcha. And as Dommek says at the end: He’s become no longer a plain teller of stories, but a storyteller instead. His great-grandad would be proud…!
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