Jim's home in Patagonia is surrounded by birds, and Chihuahuan ravens are among his favorites.
“You're either preternaturally alive to language or you're not . . . If you're obsessed – you feel called, you have to give your entire life to it."
Jim Harrison: Poet, Fiction & Nonfiction Writer, Gourmand
Books
Novels
Wolf: A False Memoir (1971)
A Good Day to Die (1973)
Farmer (1976)
Warlock (1981)
Sundog (1984)
Dalva (1988)
The Road Home (1998)
True North (2004)
Returning to Earth: a Novel (2006)
The English Major (2008)
The Great Leader (2011)
Novella Collections
Legends of the Fall (1979)
The Woman Lit by Fireflies (1990)
Julip (1994)
The Beast God Forgot to Invent (2000)
The Summer He Didn't Die (2005)
The Farmer's Daughter (2009)
Poetry Collections
Plain Song (1965)
Locations (1968)
Outlyer and Ghazals (1971)
Letters to Yesenin (1973)
Returning to the Earth: Poetry (1977)
Selected and New Poems: 1961-1981 (1982)
The Theory and Practice of Rivers and New Poems (1986 / 1989)
After Ikkyu (1996)
The Shape of the Journey: New and Collected Poems (1998)
Braided Creek: A Conversation in Poetry (w/Ted Kooser) (2003)
Saving Daylight (2006)
In Search of Small Gods (2009)
Songs of Unreason (2011)
Nonfiction
Just Before Dark: Collected Nonfiction (1991)
The Raw and the Cooked: Adventures of a Roving Gourmand (1992 / 2003)
Off to the Side: A Memoir (2002)
Children's
The Boy Who Ran to the Woods (2000)
Films
Cold Feet (written by) 1989
Revenge (novella / screenplay) 1991
Legends of the Fall (novella) 1994
Wolf (written by; producer) 1994
Dalva (TV movie) (novel "Dalva") 1996
Carried Away (novella "Farmer") 1996
Practice of the Wild, documentary about Gary Snyder (star) (2010)
Untitled Richard Brautigan project (in production)
Harrison's writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Outside, Playboy, The New York Times and more. His work has been published in 27 languages. Nine of his books have been best-sellers in France, where he is treated like a rock star.
Awards
National Academy of Arts grants (1967, 1968, 1969)
Guggenheim Fellowship (1969-70)
Mark Twain Award for distinguished contribution to Midwestern literature (1990)
Saturn Award: best writing for Wolf screenplay(1995)
Evil Companions Literary Award (1999)
Spirit of the West Award from the Mountain & Plains Booksellers Association (2000)
MSU Distinguished Alumni (2000)
Award for Poetry from the Society of Midland Authors - with Ted Kooser (2003)
Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2007)
PNBA Award for Returning to Earth (2008)
Pen Oakland, Josephine Miles Award (2011)
The Washington Times said, “Jim Harrison ought to be considered a national treasure.” We completely agree. But then again, we believe that all of America’s noted writers should be in the same category as our national parks: treasured resources. Other reviewers have called him “legendary” and likened him to such renowned American writers as Hemingway and Faulkner. But our favorite accolade, from the Sunday Times of London, said Harrison is “a writer with immortality in him.”
I have little doubt that these epic-sized descriptors suit Harrison in part because he has lived a life that fits those proportions, and has written enough, in virtually every genre (except, he points out, short story) to warrant the status. His novellas, novels, poetry and essays have been translated into more than two-dozen languages, and the movies made from his stories have been seen and enjoyed by millions.
During a wonderful period in our travels we had the unique good fortune to cross paths with this true master of the written word, and it was a special time we will always think about warmly. One evening Salli had the pleasure to fix one of her favorite special meals, de-boned chicken, for Jim, his wife Linda, and several friends. It was
Interview Movie
(Embedded version below)
MP3 Audio File
(Note: To download the podcast,
right click on the link if you are on a PC,
or control click if you are on a Mac. )
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Location: |
Patagonia, AZ |
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Run Time: |
24:27 |
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Genre: |
Poetry, Novellas, Novels, Essays |
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Website: |
none |
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Raised: |
Michigan |
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Youthful Influence: |
A family of obsessive readers, awash in books. |
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Favorite Authors: |
Steinbeck, Cather, Faulkner, French Literature |
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Literary Habit: |
By the time he writes a story out with pen on a yellow legal pad, he has really thought it through. As a result, he doesn't revise much. |
particularly special since she was preparing a meal for a man who for years was the food writer for a leading national magazine, and who was once featured on an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s TV program No Reservations.
While she prepared the meal, I interviewed Jim in the backyard of his casita in southern Arizona. The area was filled with many types of wild birds he enjoys watching, and with dogs he has a special affinity for (fun-seeking dogs who kept bumping on the camera tripod during the interview).
I must apologize in advance for the poor audio in this interview. Yes, Jim is hard to hear, but it’s also due to my ineptitude at trying to multitask while sipping wine and chatting.
This painting in Jim and Linda's living room is also on the cover of "The Beast God Forgot to Invent: Novellas"
Jim contemplating in his backyard.
A familiar pose.
A bit of French influence, no?
