Off to the Side by Jim Harrison
Selected as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Off to the Side is the tale of one of America's most beloved writers. Jim Harrison traces his upbringing in Michigan amid the austerities of the Depression and the Second World War, and the seemingly greater austerities of his starchy Swedish forebears. He chronicles his coming-of-age, from a boy drunk with books to a young man making his way among fellow writers he deeply admires -- including Peter Matthiessen, Robert Lowell, W.H. Auden, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Allen Ginsberg. Harrison discusses forthrightly the life-changing experience of becoming a father, and the minor cognitive dissonance that ensued when this boy from the heartland somehow ended up a highly paid Hollywood screenwriter. He gives free rein to his seven obsessions -- alcohol, food, stripping, hunting and fishing (and the dogs who have accompanied him in both), religion, the road, and our place in the natural world -- which he elucidates with earthy wisdom and an elegant sense of connectedness. Off to the Side is a work of great beauty and importance, a triumphant achievement that captures the writing life and brings all of us clues for living.
James Herbert Harrison was born in central Missouri and grew up in the southeast Missouri river town of Cape Girardeau. James was the oldest of three siblings, gaining from the strong exposure of Midwestern, patriotic values, his father's strong work ethic, and the strong moral influence of his mother. Foregoing college, James started his own business two days after turning twenty one years of age and after several years as a small businessman, relocated to Chicago and began a career in sales and marketing. Living and working in thirty eight states over the course of near thirty years, he has held various positions from street salesman to national sales management. An avid NRA member, James has extensive knowledge of American military history, specifically the civil war and civil war small arms. Having a conservative orientation politically, he is a supporter of the American Tea Party movement and strong proponent of the Fair Tax Bill. A constant consumer of political/military fiction thrillers, James has read the works of Frederick Forsythe, Tom Clancy, Larry Bond, and Brad Thor, to name a few. His favorite, the man whose story inspired his venture into fictional writing, is Vince Flynn, whom Harrison considers the contemporary master of the trade. James has a diverse alternative interest in automobile motor racing and has traveled nationally and internationally to over sixty major events. Residing currently in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, Harrison lives with his wife, Maryna, and two year old son, Steven. He also has a twenty three year old son, Bill, who currently resides in Cape Girardeau.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780871138606 |
| ISBN 10 | 0871138603 |
| Title | Off to the Side |
| Author | Jim Harrison |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Atlantic Monthly Press |
| Year published | 2002-11-09 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |