March 2016 | Nate Pedersen

Jim Harrison Dies at 78

Jim Harrison, American novelist and poet, died this past weekend at his home in Arizona. Harrison was 78.
                                                                                                                                                             Harrison was much admired for both his poetry and prose, suffused with descriptions of the outdoor life. He was primarily known for his grand-scale novella about a Montana family in the early twentieth century entitled Legends of the Fall, which was turned into a blockbuster film in 1994.
                                                                                                                                                              Harrison was born in Michigan in 1937 and most recently divided his time between Montana and Arizona.
                                                                                                                                                                     A prolific writer, Harrison produced 30 books in 50 years in addition to a host of essays, criticism, screenplays, and reviews. Harrison's first book of poetry, Plain Song, was published in 1965. His first novel, Wolf, was published six years later and turned into a film starring Jack Nicholson. In 1973 Harrison published his poetry collection Letters to Yesenin, widely considered to be his finest collection of verse. His most recent novel, The Ancient Minstrel, was published earlier this month.