James Welch

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From Google, a birthday tribute for James Welch

I’m probably late in noticing this, but James Welch, who surely ranks as one of the best writers in the history of Montana, is the subject of today’s Google doodle. Today would have been the 76th birthday of the author of “Winter in the Blood” and “Fools Crow,” along with other novels and poems. The beautiful doodle by artist Sophie Diao nicely captures Welch’s thoughtful, placid demeanor. Most references to Welch that I found today refer to him as a Blackfeet writer, but Indian Country Today has the more correct designation: Blackfeet/Gros Ventre. I thought Google’s announcement was slightly off in one respect, in the way it confidently asserts that “Fools Crow” was his “best known work.” That was actually the first Welch book I read and I certainly loved it, but I would have to say that “Winter in the Blood” is his best-known work, especially after the release of the Smith brothers’ film of the same name. Continue Reading →

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High Plains BookFest opens with talk of the ‘other’ border

Safarik

Of course it was planned and was not a lucky accident, but still, you couldn’t have found a better way to officially open this year’s High Plains BookFest on Friday. The theme of this year’s festival is Border Crossing, meant to celebrate the literary kinship of the people of the High Plains, whether they live in the United States or Canada. (more…) Continue Reading →

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Book Review: Years later, ‘Stay Away, Joe’ doesn’t hold up

Stay Away, Joe, by Dan Cushman, Viking Press, 1953. 249 pages. Price: Whatever you can find it for. I first read “Stay Away, Joe” back in 1974. It was assigned as part of an English class at the University of Montana, a class that I think was called “Cowboys and Indians: Literature of Red and White,” or something very close to that. Continue Reading →

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