Over the years I have read numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction, about WWII in which the term “monuments men” was used. I had a vague idea of what these unsung heroes did during and after the war. When I realized that a movie was coming out, I made sure I went to see it. …
He doesn’t know it, but Jim Harrison bought me a glass of pinot noir. Harrison is a well-known wine worshiper—read this oft-reprinted sermon, it’s worth it—but he won’t sacrifice the welfare of his friends just for the prospect of another wine connection. As the story goes, he told fellow Michiganders, Sarver Winery proprietors Chris and …
When I was first starting to write fiction, I read a piece by William Styron about the difficulties of beginning a story. What you needed most, he said, was a strong sense of place. Something that would ground you through all the uncertainties that were sure to follow. You might not know what, but you …
“The three stories in The Farmer’s Daughter are as different as they are unforgettable. Written in the voice of a home-schooled fifteen-year-old girl in rural Montana, the title novella is an uncompromising, beautiful tale of an extraordinary character whose youth intersects with unexpected brutality, and the reserves she must draw on to make herself whole. …
At Book Beast, author John Avlon spends a day in Livingston, Montana with Jim Harrison, who he calls “arguably America’s greatest living author—and certainly our earthiest.” Harrison is the author of 30 books, including Legends of the Fall, The Farmer’s Daughter (newly released in paperback) and Returning to Earth, which won an award from the indie booksellers …
