Max Crawford (writer)

Max Crawford
Born Max Fleming Crawford
(1938-08-06)August 6, 1938
Lubbock, Texas
Died October 7, 2010(2010-10-07) (aged 72)
Missoula, Montana
Occupation Writer
Nationality American
Citizenship American
Education Master of Fine Arts
(creative writing)
Alma mater University of Texas, Austin, Stanford University
Genre Historical fiction, Western,
Notable works Waltz Across Texas
Lords of the Plain
Spouse Susan Parsons (divorced)

Max Fleming Crawford was an American writer. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, and grew up in Floydada, Texas. Crawford was influenced by Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, and Malcolm Lowry. His friendships with other writers were a great influence in his life and career as well, including Larry McMurtry, Wendell Berry, Michael Koepf, Raymond Carver,[1] Chuck Kinder, Al Young, Diane Smith,[2][3] Bill Kittredge, Scott Turow, Jon Jackson[4] and James Crumley.[5]

Personal life

He attended The University of Texas at Austin where he earned an undergraduate degree in economics and met his wife, Susan Sherzer Parsons. They moved to Mexico and lived in the Zona Rosa of Mexico City, where his son Peter was born. After the birth of his daughter Katherine in Houston, Crawford was awarded a Stegner Fellowship, and moved with his family to California. Over his life, he worked on his novels in Houston, London, Pézenas, France, Montana, and San Francisco.

Career

Many of his novels are set in West Texas, such as Lords of the Plain, much admired by Ronald Reagan,[6][7] and The Backslider, and others in California, such as The Bad Communist. He has also published poems and written and edited literary publications, such as The Redneck Review and 100 Flowers.

An inventory of his papers is in the special collections of Texas Tech University.[8]

Works

  • Waltz Across Texas (1975) – novel (first novel published)
  • The Backslider (1976) – novel (first novel written)
  • The Bad Communist (1979) – novel
  • Lords of the Plain (1985) – novel
  • Six Key Cut (1986) – novel
  • Icarus (1988) – novel, with Michael Koepf
  • Can't Dance (1989) – novel
  • The Red & the White (1996) – novel
  • Highschoolharry&co. (2000) – novel
  • Wing Shot: A Novel (2001)
  • Wamba: A Novel (2002)
  • Eastertown: A Novel (2003)

Quotes

No one knew when we would commence our second campaign. Our horses were fat, the men restless, all equipment and tack and supplies stood ready, and still we did not march out.

Lords of the Plain (1997)

In nine days’ march I reached some plains, so vast that I did not find their end anywhere I went … plains with no more landmarks than as if we had been swallowed up in the sea, where our guides strayed about, because there was not a stone, nor a bit of rising ground, nor a tree, nor a shrub, nor anything to go by …

Lords of the Plain (1997)

References

  1. ↑ Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life – Carol Sklenicka – Google Books. Books.google.com. November 24, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Letters from Yellowstone – Diane Smith – Book Clubs – Penguin Group (USA)". Us.penguingroup.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2004. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Pictures from an Expedition (9780670031290): Diane Smith: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  4. ↑ George S. Kelly (July 1, 2004). "Official Web Site of Author Jon A. Jackson". Jonajackson.com. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ Zigal, Tom (October 1, 2008). "10,000 Barstools Ago". Texas Monthly. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Review-a-Day – The Comanche Empire (Lamar Series in Western History) by Pekka Hamalainen, reviewed by New York Review of Books – Powell's Books". Powells.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Splendors and Miseries of being an Author/Bookseller, Larry McMurtry – ABAA Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America – Search for Rare, Used and Antiquarian Books". Hq.abaa.org. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Max Crawford: An Inventory of His Papers, 1960–2000 and undated, at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library". Lib.utexas.edu. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.