Cowboys and East Indians
First edition | |
| Author | Nina McConigley |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction, short story collection |
| Publisher | FiveChapters Books |
Publication date | 2013 |
| Publication place | United States |
Cowboys and East Indians: Stories is a 2013 short story collection by Nina McConigley that was the winner of the 2014 PEN Open Book Award.
Plot
Set in India and Wyoming, the stories in Cowboys and East Indians tell the immigrant experience in the American West. From Indian motel owners to a kleptomaniac foreign exchange student, to oil rig workers, to a cross-dressing cowboy, an adopted cowgirl to a medical tourist in India.
Critical reception
Several mainstream magazines and journals covered the book.[1][2][3] A play, adapted by Matthew Spangler and Nina Mcconigley, premiered in 2026 at the Denver Centre for Performing Arts. The play is directed by Chris Coleman and stars a South Asian cast which includes Minita Gandhi, Shawn Jain, and Sadithi De Zilva.[4]
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | High Plains Book Awards | Short Stories | Won | |
| PEN Open Book Award | — | Won | [5] |
References
- ^ Wolfe, Bill (August 17, 2015). "COWBOYS AND EAST INDIANS is a unique contribution to Indian-American literature". readherlikeanopenbook.com.
- ^ Sen, Chaitali (October 9, 2013). "Place and Transformation". Los Angeles Review of Books.
- ^ Sojourner, Mary (June 14, 2016). "Southwest Book Review: Nina Conigley's 'Cowboys And East Indians'". KNAU.
- ^ Tresca, Toni (January 27, 2026). "'Cowboys and East Indians' finds plenty of heart in Wyoming's wide-open spaces". OnStage Colorado. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "Cowboys and East Indians' Wins PEN Award". NBC News. August 20, 2014.