Details

ISBN-10: 0802157211
ISBN-13: 9780802157218
Publisher: Grove Press
Publish Date: 09/13/2022
Dimensions: 8.80" L, 6.20" W, 1.20" H

The Search for the Genuine: Nonfiction, 1970-2015

Hardcover

Price: $28.00

Overview

The first general nonfiction title in thirty years from a giant of American letters, The Search for the Genuine is a sparkling, definitive collection of Jim Harrison’s essays and journalism–some never before published

New York Times-bestselling author Jim Harrison (1937-2016) was a writer
with a poet’s economy of style and a trencherman’s appetites. Praised as a
“national treasure” (Chicago Tribune) and published in twenty-seven languages, he was one of
this country’s most beloved and critically acclaimed authors. Best known for
his poetry and fiction such as Legends of the
Fall
, Dalva, and Returning
to Earth
, Harrison was also a prolific
nonfiction writer, with columns running in Sports
Illustrated
and Esquire,
and work in Outside, Field & Stream, and others. The first collection of Harrison’s general
nonfiction in thirty years, The
Search for the Genuine
is a
sparkling, definitive volume of essays and journalism–from the near-classic to
the never-published.

With his trademark ribald humor,
compassion, and full-throated zest for life, The
Search for the Genuine
pays
tribute to writers from Bukowski to Neruda to Peter Matthiessen, and examines
the distance between literary reputation and the work itself; he attains
something like satori in the field hunting grouse; he reports on Yellowstone
for the park’s hundredth anniversary, when he was merely a tourist to the part
of Montana he would eventually call home; he takes to the open sea in pursuit
of roosterfish, marlin, tarpon, and, once, to observe a scientific mission
tagging sharks; he delivers a heartbreaking essay on life–and, for those
attempting to cross in the ever-more dangerous gaps, death–on the US-Mexico
border. Always he comes back to the spirit and to connection with the natural
world and the people who sustained him; throughout the book his feeling for the
American landscape rings out.

Lovingly introduced by acclaimed
novelist, poet, and essayist Luis Alberto Urrea, The Search for the Genuine is a feast that captures a lifetime of reading, writing,
and living to the fullest, from a true “American original” (San Francisco Chronicle).

Read More
Reviews

Praise for The Search for the Genuine:

"Harrison may be gone, but his writing speaks to a force larger than life: it continues to teach and inform years later, which is all a writer could ever really dream of." Literary Hub

"Spanning 45 years, this new bevy of essays and musings bursts with
insight, adventure, and well-lived experiences . . . his writing is always and
truly 'genuine.' Forthright, perpetually curious, and compassionate, Harrison
remains wholly compelling and readers will be grateful that this buoyant,
observant, and caring writer took time away from his sublime poetry to create
these enriching essays." Booklist, starred review

"Endlessly charming . . . An essential installment in the Harrison canon."–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Harrison devotees will eat this up."–Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A rollicking but sentimental tribute to a life wholly
lived."–CJ Lotz, Garden & Gun

"Harrison's
poetic voice and storyteller's gift are strong in each of these pieces. With
sections on writing and writer friends; hunting and hunting dogs; Michigan,
Montana, and other favorite haunts; and, of course, fishing, the book makes the
reader feel like they are sitting on the next barstool, listening to a master
raconteur weave his tales. Harrison's voice is, as always, filled with such a
passion for living that it's difficult to believe he's gone. This collection is
a welcome addition to the disbelief." Marc Beaudin, Big Sky
Journal

"[The] great
chronicler of America and her natural beauty . . . [Harrison] lived a singular
life, a true American original, and The Search for the Genuine offers a
glimpse into a life lived on the margins but at the center of what matters." Alex
Perez, Return

"Over the course of his long career as a writer, Jim Harrison wrote
eloquently about the American outdoors in countless ways. The Search for the
Genuine
assembles 45 years' worth of his nonfiction, covering subjects
ranging from Yellowstone National Park to searching for sharks. Looking for a
lyrical, meditative take on the grandest subjects out there? Look no further."
Tobias Carroll, InsideHook

"Rich
with Harrison's consummate humor and characteristic empathy."–Jana Hoops, Jackson
Clarion-Ledge

"Harrison was one of America's most genuine
writers and his "Search" ruminates about love, literature, hunting, fishing,
border life and the magic of place."–Bruce Dinges, Arizona Daily Star

"You
will see the world in a different light and soon realize you are reading the
work of a genius. Many readers will also learn he was a lot like you (and me)."
Bill Castanier, CityPulse

"The
Harrison who emerges here is recognizable, but also useful, reminding readers
of the value of curiosity and range, whether in miles or mindset." –Glen
Young, Petoskey News-Review

"Exuberant, startlingly original
nonfiction . . . I'm taking its essays one by one . . . just to have his
inimitable voice in my head for as long as possible."Colette Bancroft, The
Tampa Bay Times



Praise for Jim Harrison:

"Among the most indelible American novelists of the last hundred years."–Dwight Garner, New York Times

"Harrison is truly one of those writers whose books are hard to put down."–Los Angeles Times Book Review

"One of the few truly high-test males who've passed through the eye of the needle."–Louise Erdich, MS.

"[Harrison] can sweep a reader off her feet with his wordplay, even if he is just describing the weather."–Bernadette Murphy, Los Angeles Times

"Extravagantly talented, critically adored, more famous than most literary novelists . . . Jim Harrison gave his life to [writing], and American literature is richer as a result."–Gregory Cowles, New York Times Book Review

More Reviews

Details

ISBN-10: 0802157211
ISBN-13: 9780802157218
Publisher: Grove Press
Publish Date: 09/13/2022
Dimensions: 8.80" L, 6.20" W, 1.20" H
Skip to content