Jim Harrison's Legends of Lyrical Fiction

NPR | By Tom Vitale

Published February 8, 2007 at 4:00 PM EST

An almost mythic American author from the upper Midwest, Jim Harrison writes about big themes that could be called Hemingwayesque: land, death, and life.

Harrison has won a cult following for his lyrical fiction, which includes Dalva; Legends of the Fall; for which he wrote the film adaptation; and Wolf, which was also adapted for Hollywood. Harrison, 69, has also written books of poetry, essays and a memoir.

His new novel is a redemption story about a Chippewa-Finnish man dying of Lou Gherig's disease: Returning to Earth.

Corrected: February 9, 2007 at 12:00 AM EST

The audio for this story incorrectly locates Jim Harrison's place of birth. He was born in Grayling, Mich., which is in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.

Tom Vitale

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