The Ancient Minstrel, Jim Harrison, 2016
Read just days after Harrison died at the age of 78 in Patagonia, AZ of heart failure, this is a fitting book for his final effort. Comprising three novellas, each is representative of his best work. The eponymous first one is autobiographical and filled with excellent lines from his life: ‘He had known another reality’; ‘Life is short on conclusions’; the concept of a ‘glimpse’, in which ‘reality can break open and reveal its essence like bending linoleum.” “Death gets your attention”. “Luckily his memory had held out against attrition. He could see clearly backward into his waxing and waning.” “Often we are utterly inert before the mysteries of our lives, why we are here, where we are, and the precise nature of the journey that has brought us here.” This is among my favorite Harrison work! The second novella is about the arc of a woman’s life from childhood to motherhood, and presents us with a most memorable character, Catherine, on a Montana farm—a fine story. The final story is not one of my favorites, but the ending is so shocking that it makes the grade. I will miss Harrison’s big story telling and presence in this world!!!!