Overview

The first biography of one of Montana's most celebrated writers A River Runs Through It and Other Stories turned Norman Maclean into a late-in-life literary phenomenon and then a household name after the success of the Hollywood film based on the title story. Yet fewer know of Maclean's lifelong struggles to reconcile very different parts of himself: the revered teacher and writer in the intellectual hub of Chicago and the Montana man compelled by the wildness and traumas of his home state and family, including the tragic Mann Gulch fire and the murder of his brother. Rebecca McCarthy's intimate portrait of Maclean draws on her long friendship with the author from the time she became a student at the University of Chicago through the rest of his life. Irrepressible as a teacher, Maclean shared guidance, advice, campus and city rambles, and loyal friendship with generations of students. Behind the scenes, he honed an art as meditative and patient as his approach to fly fishing. McCarthy's experiences intertwine with stories from friends, family, colleagues, and others to detail an incredibly rich life that seemed destined to remain divided—until the creation of his classic American story. A vivid evocation of an iconic figure, Norman Maclean reveals the forces and events that shaped the author-educator and formed the bedrock of his beloved stories.

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9780295752488

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Reviews

"""A profoundly intimate glimpse into the life of an enigmatic man who became most notable for his exquisitely rendered novella, A River Runs Through It. . . The witness McCarthy presents is supplemented by meticulous research, letters, and interviews that capture a well-rounded portrait of Maclean."" * Shelf Awareness *"

"""A profoundly intimate glimpse into the life of an enigmatic man who became most notable for his exquisitely rendered novella, A River Runs Through It. . . The witness McCarthy presents is supplemented by meticulous research, letters, and interviews that capture a well-rounded portrait of Maclean."" * Shelf Awareness * ""McCarthy’s personal portrait is noteworthy and unique among works about Maclean."" * Booklist * ""What makes Norman Maclean such a pleasure to read is that it's written by an acolyte of sorts, Atlanta author Rebecca McCarthy, who brings a tremendous amount of intimacy and insight to the telling. . . A compassionate account of a compelling individual."" * Atlanta Journal-Constitution * ""Just as [Norman Maclean's] stories were drawn from reality, but written with what he called ""literary latitude,"" so [Rebecca McCarthy's] book is a braiding, combining her memories of a man who was a friend and mentor with what she learnt from his colleagues, former students and family. It's affectionate, but clear-eyed."" * Times Literary Supplement * ""McCarthy's portrait expertly blends personal recollections with a journalistic examination of the correspondence and other writings that Maclean produced throughout his life and career. Readers will find a wealth of insight into the creative output and encompassing world of this acclaimed author."" * Big Sky Journal * ""Norman Maclean is a wily old devil, and Rebecca McCarthy's Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers makes that slipperiness and devilishness more accessible. . . [Her] diligent discovery of what exactly in ""A River Runs Through It"" is fiction . . . offers what is probably most interesting to readers of a book about the famous author of the most famous fly-fishing story around."" * Missoulian * ""[P]art author bio, part literary memoir, told by Rebecca McCarthy, a former student of Maclean who kept a lifelong friendship with the Hyde Park legend."" * Chicago Tribune *"

Author Information

Rebecca McCarthy is a writer who spent twenty-one years as an award-winning reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Her work has been published in the New York Times, the American Scholar, Fast Company, and other venues.

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