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Ep. 802: The Life And Death of Jim Harrison
Published: 2025-12-08 10:00:00
Referenced Books
Just Before Dark
by Jim Harrison
Described as Harrison's 'final book of essays' containing hunting and fishing writing combined with food writing and literature essays. Steve specifically mentions it as a collection of Harrison's Sports Illustrated writing from the seventies.
Referenced at 00:02:58
Wolf
by Jim Harrison
Described as 'a false memoir' about a guy wandering around Michigan's Upper Peninsula trying to catch a glimpse of a wolf. Steve mentions it as one of his favorites and discusses its abrupt, sad ending.
Referenced at 00:02:58
Brown Dog
by Jim Harrison
Mentioned as one of Harrison's Michigan-focused works that Steve and his friends were 'way into' when young.
Referenced at 00:02:58
Legends of the Fall
by Jim Harrison
Referenced as the greatest point of contact for people unfamiliar with Jim Harrison, and later mentioned as where many readers begin with Harrison and what made him wealthy.
Referenced at 00:01:36
Dolva
by Jim Harrison
Mentioned as one of Harrison's 'more complex works' and later praised as an example of Harrison writing sensitively in a woman's voice.
Referenced at 00:02:58
The Road Home
by Jim Harrison
Briefly mentioned as one of Harrison's more complex later works.
Referenced at 00:02:58
The Boy Who Ran to the Woods
by Jim Harrison
Described as a children's book by Harrison that serves as an origin story about his experience with eye injury and retreating into nature.
Referenced at 00:03:19
Warlock
by Jim Harrison
Todd mentions doing a deep dive into Harrison's work including going back to Wolf, Warlock, and Farmer.
Referenced at 00:05:33
Farmer
by Jim Harrison
Mentioned alongside Warlock as one of Harrison's early novels that Todd read when getting into Harrison's work.
Referenced at 00:05:33
Off to the Side
by Jim Harrison
Mentioned as Harrison's memoir, titled in reference to his feeling of always being 'off to the side' due to his eye disfigurement.
Referenced at 00:28:57
Letters to Yesenin
by Jim Harrison
A collection of poetry where Harrison wrote letters to dead Russian poet Sergey Yesenin. Todd explains this book helped pull Harrison out of a deep depression in his thirties.
Referenced at 01:08:07
Dubliners
by James Joyce
Steve mentions trying to read this when going to writing school, thinking he should 'figure out what people actually write about,' but gave up on it.
Referenced at 01:09:22
Trout Fishing in America
by Richard Brautigan
Steve discusses this book, noting it's 'not about trout fishing in America' but contains 'one of the greatest fishing lines ever' about a stream being so narrow you'd 'have to be a plumber to fish that creek.'
Referenced at 01:03:24
Big Bad Love
by Larry Brown
Mentioned in discussion of Larry Brown, a Mississippi fireman who became a novelist. Steve describes Brown as someone who taught himself to write between calls at a fire barn.
Referenced at 01:21:19
Dead Man's Float
by Jim Harrison
A collection of poems published right before Harrison died. The softcover edition includes the last poem Harrison was writing when he died.
Referenced at 01:25:12
A Woman Who Loved Trees
by Jim Harrison
An unfinished novella Harrison began before his death, described as being about his wife Linda.
Referenced at 01:24:14
Women Lit by Fireflies
by Jim Harrison
Mentioned alongside Dolva as an example of Harrison writing novels in women's voices in a sympathetic way.
Referenced at 01:19:49