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Midnight Son

By: James Dommek Jr., Josephine Holtzman, Isaac Kestenbaum
Narrated by: James Dommek Jr.
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Publisher's summary

James Dommek, Jr., an Alaska Native writer and musician, sheds new light on a real-life mystery that pits Native American folklore against the US justice system. In the vast Alaskan Arctic, legend has it there once lived a mythic tribe—Iñukuns—that only existed in rumors and whispers. This changed forever when an actor-turned-fugitive, Teddy Kyle Smith, had an encounter that brought Iñukuns from myth to reality. Smith was an aspiring actor with a promising career until it all came quickly crashing down with a gunshot, a manhunt, bloodshed, and other frightful events.

The story of Smith’s tragic downfall has long haunted James Dommek, Jr., the great-grandson of the last of the Iñupiaq story-tellers. Midnight Son is his journey in discovering who Teddy Kyle Smith was, what he did, and what he really saw. Along the way, listeners will experience the soul of the real Alaska as narrator Dommek, Jr. brings this multilayered and sprawling tale to life.

Please Note: Midnight Son contains adult language and violent themes. Discretion is advised.

©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.
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Our favorite moments from Midnight Son

  • Midnight Son
  • Just a mama’s boy
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  • The movie audition
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  • He’s holding a gun.
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  • Looks more like a house than a cabin.

About the Creator and Performer

James Dommek, Jr. is an Alaska Native musician and audio producer. He has played drums with Alaskan bands The Whipsaws, Pamyua, Meg Mackey Band, and Medium Build, as well as Tim Easton. He is a member of the Iñupiaq tribe and the great-grandson of one of the last Iñupiaq story-tellers, Palangun. James has worked in film and audio production for over a decade. In 2013, he scored an Emmy award-winning documentary. He also composed the soundtrack to Frontiers of Change, an award-winning audio art walk in downtown Anchorage that focused on climate change. Additionally, he co-created (with Anchorage public radio) "The RIVR" (Rising Indigenous Voices Radio), an international online radio station that provides a platform for Alaska Native and American Indian singers, songwriters, and musicians.

James resides in Anchorage, Alaska where he and his girlfriend, Kelsey, focus on raising their four kids, rooted in Alaska Native culture, foods, and traditions. He enjoys subsistence hunting, fishing, and the Alaskan way of life.

About the Creator

Josephine Holtzman is an audio documentarian, podcast producer, and multimedia artist. Her work includes an award-winning multimedia piece about the effects of climate change on Alaska's rural indigenous communities, and a multi-platform project exploring the modern-day impacts of treaties on Native American communities in the US (with NPR's Storylab and the Pulitzer Center). Josephine also hosted an interactive podcast about miscarriage for The Guardian US. With Isaac Kestenbaum, she runs the production company, Future Projects Media. Josephine lives in Portland, Maine with her husband and son.

About the Creator

Isaac Kestenbaum is an independent audio producer and journalist. He was previously the production manager at StoryCorps. He has also worked as a commercial lobsterman, a farmer, and a robotics instructor. He is the recipient of a Peabody Award and an Alaska Broadcasters Association "Goldie" Award, among other honors. Kestenbaum lives in Portland, Maine.

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What listeners say about Midnight Son

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Solid performance, interesting lore, but...

I want to like this story more than I do. It stumbles a bit at the beginning - mostly by overselling the idea that it's supposed to be a documentary - but once it finds its footing, the world comes alive and sucks you in... until the last 10 minutes or so, when it veers wildly off course, leaving pretty much every single question unanswered.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story telling, makes you think!

I loved this narration and story. I listened all the way through. This book really makes you think about the Native Alaskan people, and their beliefs. The narrator makes you feel as if you are present with him as he goes through his journey. There is so much of the world we don't know. I hope the tribe/people that he describes are out there but never found and tainted by outsiders.

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8 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Meh

I do believe that all cultures matter and keeping them alive enriches all of human history. Claiming Teddy is anything more than a crazy violent person is ridiculous. He has problems and those problems are both complex and simple. Believing in mythical people is fine as long as it's not used as an excuse to hurt other people. It's just not credible.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

To much bad language

Seriously a great storyteller. I would listen to him a lot more except the language makes me cringe. It’s not even necessary in my opinion. I can’t even suggest this book to anybody just because of the language. I could see it in the interviews because you can’t control that as much, but the author can omit it entirely!

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not as fantastic as I expected

The sound is powerful and captivating, but the plot itself has very few turns. I guess I expected more supernatural involvement.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow!I

Fantastic. Immersive story. Great narration.
Fresh idea told in a compelling way. Pleasant yet exciting

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

interesting story

stayed intrigued the whole time. good voice for story telling and enjoyed learning about native American culture.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Definitely worth the time

Up to downloading Midnight Son, I had not taken advantage of any of the free titles offered by Audible. I am very glad I did in this case. This is an intriguing story that takes you into the world of the native Alaskan people - their village life, culture and long held traditions. It is also the story of how some people sabotage themselves when they are so close to realizing their dreams. The author and narrator has a casual yet compelling style that leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering how the story of Teddy Smith ultimately ends. At just a little over three hours, it is well worth the investment of time to visit a place and people that we don’t see and hear enough about.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

captivating

being from alaska, this story was even more interesting because I knew the places and events the author was talking about.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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the fine art of story telling

this is a great example of outstanding story telling. its lost now in our ridiculousl city living and our obsession with instant everything. reminds me of the good stories told next to a hot camp fire on a cold night after a gard day with good family and friends. 100% good read/listen.

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