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Cowboy’s Quill: William “Gatz” Hjortsberg: Storyteller
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Doug Hare EBS Staff
On April 22, Montana lost one of its best writers to pancreatic cancer. William Hjortsberg, who everyone called “Gatz” because of his early fondness for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, was working on a sequel to his occult, detective novel “Fallen Angel” right up until the very end of his life. He was 76. Any publisher would be lucky to get their hands on his final work.
“Gatz” grew up in Manhattan, New York, went to college at Dartmouth, and met a young Tom McGuane at the Yale School for Drama. Both McGuane and Hjortsberg spent two years at Stanford on Stegner Fellowships. After a trip out to fish the Yellowstone River with McGuane, Gatz moved to southwest Montana in 1971, eventually buying a ranch near McLeod where he raised pigs and gardened.
In the 1970s, Livingston and Paradise Valley enjoyed an artistic renaissance. Writers Jim Harrison, Tom McGuane, Tim Cahill, Richard Brautigan, the painter Russell Chatham, actors Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Jeff Bridges, and musician Jimmy Buffett are just a few of the artistically inclined souls who became known as the “Montana Gang.” If you want to learn more about these hard-drinking, gun-toting dreamers, look no further than Hjortsberg’s “Jubiliee Hitchhiker,” which chronicles the bohemian life and times of poet Richard Brautigan.
Much of Hjortzberg’s fiction puts on display his razor-sharp wit. His first published book “Alp” is a darkly comical tale reminiscent of Johnathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” featuring Swiss mountain climbing, dwarves, nuns, and cannibalism.
Perhaps Hjortzberg’s talent for storytelling is most evident in his science fiction writing. His dystopian “Gray Matters” features brains-in-vats in a story that might as well be the basis for “The Matrix” trilogy. His “Toro, Toro, Toro” features his impeccable sense of comedic timing and irony in a disturbing tale about Spanish bullfighters.
His friends remember the man as a gentle soul, but also a fearless one. Whether he was riding a bull on assignment for Sports Illustrated or blending genres into truly bizarre, mind-boggling works of fiction, his audacity produced a truly one-of-a-kind writer. Hopefully, there will be other good writers to come out of Livingston, but there is no replacing Gatz.
Doug Hare is the Distribution Director for Outlaw Partners. He studied philosophy and American literature at Princeton and Harvard Universities.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
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Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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