Jim Harrison papers

Jim Harrison, born in Grayling, Michigan in 1937, is the second of five children of Winfield Sprague Harrison and Norma Olivia (Whalgren/Walgren) Harrison. Educated at Michigan State University, Harrison has published books in several genres throughout his career, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, and screenplays. He is recognized as a master of the novella, and his critically acclaimed trilogy Legends of the Fall reinvigorated the form in America. Jim Harrison currently lives and writes in Arizona and Montana.

[Sources for collection description and chronology: Conversations with Jim Harrison, edited by Robert Demott, Joseph Bednarik of Copper Canyon Press, and Jim Harrison Papers, Grand Valley State University Archives and Special Collections.]

1937

Born James Thomas Harrison on December 11 in Grayling, Michigan. Harrison is the second of five children of Winfield Sprague Harrison and Norma Olivia (Wahlgren/Walgren) Harrison.

1940

Family moves to Reed City, Michigan.

1945

Playmate accidentally blinds Harrison’s left eye with broken glass laboratory beaker.

1949

Family moves to Haslett, Michigan to be within commuting distance to Michigan State University (MSU).

1951

Experiences a religious conversion at Baptist revival and becomes active as preacher at fundamentalist youth fellowships.

1953

Works as busboy at Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.

1954

Travels to Greenwich Village to investigate bohemian life. Receives typewriter for seventeenth birthday.

1956

Enrolls at Michigan State University (MSU).

1957-1958

Lives in New York City, San Francisco, and Boston for a short time. Drops out of MSU.

1959

Returns to MSU and marries Linda May King on October 10, 1959.

1960

Earns BA degree from MSU and enrolls in Masters program. Develops lifelong friendships at MSU with fellow writers Tom McGuane and Dan Gerber and Robert Dattila (agent). Daughter Jamie Louise is born.

1962

Father and younger sister Judith die in automobile accident in November. Harrison leaves MSU.

1963

Moves to Cambridge, Massachusetts to live with his brother John and works as a book salesman.

1965

Moves to Kingsley, Michigan and works as a laborer. Publishes three poems in Nation and five in Poetry. With the support of Denise Levertov, W.W. Norton publishes Plain Song. Completes thesis “The Natural History of Some Poems."

1966

Receives MA in comparative literature from MSU. Serves as assistant to mentor Herbert Weisinger and as assistant professor of English at SUNY— Stony Brook.

1967

Receives first of three NEA grants and completes limited edition chapbook, Walking.

1968

W.W. Norton publishes Locations. Organizes world poetry conference at Stony Brook. Returns to Michigan to undertake a film on the timber wolf with Dan Gerber and buys Lake Leelanau farm. Publishes first edition of Sumac literary magazine with co-editor Dan Gerber. Begins fishing in Key West.

1969

Receives Guggenheim fellowship. Participates in Poets-in-the-Schools program. Publishes 5 Blind Men, a collection of poetry with Dan Gerber, J.D. Reed, George Quasha, and Charles Simic. Begins to write novel “Cities of the North.” Meets artist and writer Russell Chatham. Falls while on a hunting trip and suffers severe back injury.

1970

Begins to write first novel Wolf while recovering from back injury.

1971

Simon and Schuster publish Wolf: A False Memoir and Outlyer and Ghazals. Sumac ceases publishing magazine, but the press continues to publish books. Begins column with Sports Illustrated. Goes on literary pilgrimage to Moscow and Leningrad with Dan Gerber. Daughter Anna Severin is born.

1973

Simon and Schuster publish A Good Day to Die and Sumac Press publishes Letters to Yesenin. Goes to Africa with Dan Gerber.

1974

Contributes to and appears in the documentary film Tarpon with Richard Brautigan and Tom McGuane directed by Christian Odasso and Guy de la Valdene.

1975

Viking Press publishes Farmer. Writes screenplay of A Good Day to Die for filmmaker Frederick Weisman, Meets actor Jack Nicholson on the set of Tom McGuane’s film Missouri Breaks.

1977

Ithaca House publishes Returning to Earth.

1978

Jack Nicholson finances Harrison’s writing for a year. Meets Seymour Lawrence, publisher at Delta, Delacorte, Dutton and Houghton Mifflin. Writes The Man Who Gave Up His Name and Legends of the Fall.

1979

Center Publications releases combined reprint of Letters to Yesenin and Returning to Earth. Delta/Seymour Lawrence publishes Legends of the Fall (Revenge/The Man Who Gave Up His Name). Works as a contract screenwriter until 1997. Success leads to hiring Joyce Harrington Bahle to manage his career.

1980

Purchases cabin in Grand Marais, MI for writing retreat.

1981

Seymour Lawrence publishes Warlock (Delta) and Selected and New Poems (Delacorte). Publishes food columns in Smoke Signals. Open Book publishes Natural World: A Bestiary.

1984

E.P. Dutton publishes Sundog.

1986

Winn Books publishes limited edition of The Theory and Practice of Rivers and Other Poems.

1988

E.P. Dutton publishes Dalva. Serves as contributing food editor of Smart magazine until 1990.

1989

Clark City Press publishes The Theory and Practice of Rivers. The film Cold Feet, written with Tom McGuane is released by Lions Gate and stars Keith Carradine, Sally Kirkland, Tom Waits, and Rip Torn.

1990

Houghton-Mifflin publishes The Woman Lit by Fireflies (Brown Dog/Sunset Limited). Revenge starring Kevin Costner is released by Sony Pictures. Receives Mark Twain Award for distinguished contribution to Midwestern literature from the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature.

1991

Clark City Press publishes Just Before Dark: Collected Nonfiction. Esquire publishes first of Raw and the Cooked food columns through 1993.

1992

Works on unproduced film “The Last Posse” a western for producer Doug Wick and Harrison Ford, and script for film on photographer Edward S. Curtis for Columbia Pictures.

1993

French filmmakers George Luneau and Brice Matthieussent produce documentary film Entre Chien et Loup/Jim Harrison: Half Dog & Half Wolf.

1994

Houghton-Mifflin publishes Julip (Seven Ounce Man/Beige Dolorosa). Wolf, based on screenplay by Harrison, starring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer is produced by Mike Nichols and released by Sony Pictures.

1995

Sony Pictures releases the film Legends of the Fall, starring Brad Pitt. Begins sequel to Dalva (Road Home).

1996

Participates in Key West Literary Seminar. Shambhala publishes After Ikkyu and Other Poems. The film Carried Away, based on Farmer and starring Dennis Hopper and Amy Irving is released. Purchased Patagonia, AZ casita for winter home.

1997

MSU Press publishes The Sumac Reader, edited by Joseph Bednarik with introduction by Harrison. Participates in Festival International du Livre in Saint-Malo, France.

1998

Atlantic Monthly Press publishes The Road Home (preceded by French publication). Copper Canyon Press publishes The Shape of the Journey: New and Collected Poems. Becomes contributing editor to Men’s Journal and consultant to Orvis.

1999

Receives the Colorado Review Evil Companions Literary Award, MSU College of Arts and Letters Distinguished Alumni Award, and is finalist for Los Angeles Times book prize. Receives honor at Festival International du Livre.

2000

Atlantic Monthly Press publishes The Beast God Forgot to Invent (Westward Ho/I Forgot to Go to Spain) and The Boy Who Ran into the Woods. Wins Spirit of the West literary achievement award, and the MSU Distinguished Alumni Award.

2001

Atlantic Monthly Press publishes The Raw and the Cooked. Aralia Press publishes A Conversation limited edition book of poems with Ted Kooser. Begins writing memoir True North.

2002

Grove Press publishes Off to the Side. University Press of Mississippi publishes Conversations with Jim Harrison edited by Robert Demott.

Sells Lake Leelanau House and moved to Livingston, MT.

2003

Copper Canyon Press publishes Braided Creek, a book of poetry in conversation with Ted Kooser.

2004

Atlantic Monthly Press publishes True North. Sells Grand Marais, MI property.

2005

Atlantic Monthly Press publishes The Summer He Didn’t Die.

2006

Performs reading and conversation with Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser, for Lannan Foundation in Santa Fe, N.M. Copper Canyon Press publishes Saving Daylight, new and unpublished poetry.

Harrison Papers open to public for research at Grand Valley State University Special Collections in Allendale, Michigan.

2007

Grove Atlantic publishes novel Returning to Earth. Elected as member of American Academy of Arts and Letters. Copper Canyon Press reissues Letters to Yesenin.

2008

Grove Atlantic publishes novel The English Major. Mary Harrison Dumsch, Harrison’s sister, donates her collection of Harrison papers to Grand Valley State University.

2009

Copper Canyon Press publishes In Search of Small Gods.Grove publishes The Farmer's Daughter. Harrison appears on Newshour with Jim Lahrer on PBS and No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel. University of Nebraska Press publishes an extensive bibliography to Harrison’s published works edited by Gregg Orr and Beef Torrey. Bob DeMott donates his collection of Harrison papers to Grand Valley State University including papers related to Conversations with Jim Harrison.

Anthony Bourdain's television show No Reservations features Jim in and around his home in Livingston, Montana.

Grove Atlantic publishes novellas The Farmer's Daughter, Brown Dog Redux, and The Games of Night under the title The Farmer's Daughter.

2011

Grove Press publishes The Great Leader. Copper Canyon Press publishes Songs of Unreason.

2013

Grove Press publishes Brown Dog, gathering five novellas published about the character 'Sun Dog' and adds a new one as a coda.

Grove Atlantic publishes The River Swimmer, including two novellas "The Land of Unlikeness" and "The River Swimmer."

2015

Grove Press publishes The Big Seven.

2016

Grove Atlantic publishes The Ancient Minstrel, including three novellas: "The Ancient Minstrel," "Eggs," and "The Case of the Howling Buddhas."

Copper Canyon Press publishes Dead Man's Float.

Jim Harrison died at age 78 of heart failure on March 26, 2016.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown revisits Jim in Montana later in the year.