This was the last time I saw Harrison, in March 2015 at the Festival of Books. Shown here with Luis Alberto Urrea, at a tribute to Charles Bowden.
He was my favorite author. Period. I adored him and (almost) all he ever wrote. He was a literary genius, perhaps the best of his generation. He'd experienced the wilds of the Upper Peninsula and southern Arizona - and wrote of each so stunningly. His words brought back a lifetime of memories for me, and provided so very much to ponder about our relationships with our families, friends and the world around us. He was blatant about his weaknesses, and taught us much about honest self-assessment. The masterful humor throughout most of his work is unbeatable.
Somewhat hauntingly, in the past few months since my mother died, I had a ravenous and insatiable need to read his work. I listened to "Returning to Earth" in audiobook (almost as good as reading it the first time), devoured his most recent "The Ancient Mistrel" (an autobiography for certain), and re-read numerous articles about him. I had a feeling we would lose him soon. After reading "The Ancient Minstrel," I concluded that he'd prefer not to live without his wife Linda, who died in October. Indeed.
Just a few weeks ago, I discovered a protege of Harrison's: Callan Wink. Also from Michigan, he fled to Montana (as did Harrison for the summer months). While Jim was the master of the novella, young Wink is already a master of the short story. This is clear from his debut collection "Dog Run Moon," which I am enjoying thoroughly. When you are missing Harrison, you might turn to Wink. He will certainly be one to follow.
Thank you, Jim Harrison, for all you have given us in poetry, novels, screenplays, and non-fiction. You will live in my heart forever.
Somewhat hauntingly, in the past few months since my mother died, I had a ravenous and insatiable need to read his work. I listened to "Returning to Earth" in audiobook (almost as good as reading it the first time), devoured his most recent "The Ancient Mistrel" (an autobiography for certain), and re-read numerous articles about him. I had a feeling we would lose him soon. After reading "The Ancient Minstrel," I concluded that he'd prefer not to live without his wife Linda, who died in October. Indeed.
Just a few weeks ago, I discovered a protege of Harrison's: Callan Wink. Also from Michigan, he fled to Montana (as did Harrison for the summer months). While Jim was the master of the novella, young Wink is already a master of the short story. This is clear from his debut collection "Dog Run Moon," which I am enjoying thoroughly. When you are missing Harrison, you might turn to Wink. He will certainly be one to follow.
Thank you, Jim Harrison, for all you have given us in poetry, novels, screenplays, and non-fiction. You will live in my heart forever.
RSS Feed