'Legends of the Fall' Author Jim Harrison Dies at 78
‘Legends of the Fall’ author Jim Harrison in 2008 (Photo: Wyatt McSpadden/Courtesy of Grove Atlantic via AP)
By Alex Stedman, Variety
Author and poet Jim Harrison, who gained major mainstream success with his Legends of the Fall novella, has died. He was 78.
Harrison died Saturday at his home in Patagonia, Arizona, Deb Seager, spokeswoman for Harrison publisher, Grove Atlantic, told the Associated Press. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Harrison wrote more than 30 books over his long career, and was compared to the likes of Ernest Hemingway. His 1980 saga Legends of the Fall was adapted into a film in 1994, directed by Edward Zwick and starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. It won the best cinematography Oscar for John Toll.
Related: ‘Legends of the Fall’ movie review
He was an avid outdoorsman, which often carried over to his writing. Among the accolades he received are a Guggenheim Fellowship, National Academy of Arts grants, and the Spirit of the West Award from the Mountain & Plains Booksellers Association.
Harrison made a handful of Hollywood friends in his life, including Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, and Warren Beatty. His work was also featured in such publications as Esquire, Rolling Stone, and Playboy.
He most recently released fiction The Big Seven last year. He also released a book of poetry, Dead Man’s Float, in 2015.
He is survived by his wife Linda King and their two daughters.
‘Legends of the Fall’: Watch the trailer for the home video release:
