Jim Harrison, Author of "Legend Of The Fall," Dies at 78
The author of the novel "Legends of the Fall," Jim Harrison, died at the age of 78 last Saturday. The author's cause of death was not known, and according to a report in People, the author died at his home in Patagonia, Arizona. He authored more than 40 books, which included novels and collections of poems. One of these novels, "Legends of the Fall" became famous after it was adapted into a feature film in Hollywood and starred in by Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Julia Ormond in 1994.
Born in Michigan in 1937, James Thomas Harrison was the son of Winfield Harrison, a county agricultural agent and Norma Walgren. His father's love for books was passed on to him and Harrison grew up in Reed City, Michigan, according to a report in the New York Times.
With both bachelor and master's degrees in comparative literature for the Michigan State University, he started his career as a writer after a short stint as an academician. His first works were collections of poems and short novels, including "Legends of the Fall" which was published in 1979.
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His later work, an essay entitled "The Raw and the Cooked" showed Harrison's love for food and according to a report in People, he also loved to hunt and cook his own food. His later years were spent not only writing, but also hunting and enjoying the great outdoors.
The People report called him the "master of the novella" or the short novel and his work has been compared to that of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. Most of his work also reflects his rural upbringing, as most of the characters he writes about come from humble, rural beginnings.
He has left two daughters, Jamie Potenberg and Anna Hjortsberg; three grandchildren; a sister, Mary Dumsch and a brother, David. His wife, Linda King, whom he married in 1959 died October last year.
