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Thomas McGuane: Literary wrangler
Published
8 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Doug Hare EBS Staff
Thomas McGuane has been writing for over five decades, and most of that time has been spent raising horses and cattle on his ranch just outside McLeod, Montana.
He doesn’t call himself a cowboy but he is a former champion horse cutter, an event where horse and rider are judged by their ability to separate cows from the herd. Like his longtime friend and fellow author Jim Harrison, McGuane is an accomplished outdoorsman who knows a thing or two about hunting and casting flies in southwest Montana.
His first three novels “The Sporting Club,” “The Bushwhacked Piano,” and “Ninety-two in the Shade” were all set in Florida and gained him a reputation as an extraordinarily talented novelist.
In fact, the only book of McGuane’s not reviewed favorably was “Panama,” a drug-fueled tale about debauchery in Key West that he still considers one of his best works.
Any good Montana bookshelf should have something with Thomas McGuane’s name on the spine. I would recommend his most recent collection of short stories: “Crow Fair.” More subdued than his earlier work, most of these stories explore flawed characters from Big Sky Country whose shortcomings lead to revelations, both for the character and reader alike.
Even in his old age, McGuane remains in good health and at the top of his form as a writer, his storytelling powers and artistic vision more refined than ever.
McGuane’s prose in “Crow Fair” is sparse, direct, and matter-of-fact. The sentences are taut and lean. But even with characters that are plain spoken, passive, or laconic, the stories capture the complexities of family life, aging, and solitude with an authenticity that very few writers can muster.
He does not try to idealize life in Montana, father-son relationships, romance, or the prospects of growing old. But his brand of realistic satire often manages a surreal effect.
“Weight Watchers” examines a father going through a divorce with a dark humor that blends the comic and tragic seamlessly. This story in particular resembles the comic stylings of Mark Twain, but the cathartic moment is both jarring and somber. McGuane is at his best writing about father-son relationships.
“Shaman” is a poignant piece given recent national debates about law enforcement and gun violence. After a senseless shooting by a local sheriff, the author in his typical deadpan style writes, “Dan Sheare from the Ford dealership said it was like they had shot the Easter Bunny.”
Almost every story in the collection has an illumination of the universality of the human condition and the particularity of living in modern-day Montana. Give McGuane a chance and he’ll be sure to rope you in.
Doug Hare is the Distribution Coordinator 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.
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