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Thomas McGuane

トーマス・マクガーン

Thomas McGuane

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1939-12-11 （Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Irish Catholic
Residence History
Wyandotte, Michigan → Livingston, Montana → Paradise Valley, Montana → Boulder River valley near McLeod, Montana → Key West, Florida

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Screenwriter, Film director
Active Years
1969-
Affiliations
American Academy of Arts and Letters (member), NCHA Members Hall of Fame, Fly Fishing Hall of Fame, Montana State University (honorary degree; archival holdings)
Memberships
American Academy of Arts and Letters, NCHA Members Hall of Fame, Fly Fishing Hall of Fame
Influenced By
Jim Harrison, Larry McMurtry, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner
Influenced
Richard Brautigan, Rick Bass, Russell Chatham

Education

University of Michigan
Country: United States
Attended (left or transferred; exact details unclear)
Olivet College
Country: United States
Attended (left or transferred; exact details unclear)
Michigan State University
English
Degree: BA
Period: 1959–1962
Year of Graduation: 1962
Country: United States
BA in English. Met Jim Harrison while a student.
Yale School of Drama
Playwriting / Dramatic Literature
Degree: MFA
Period: 1963–1965
Year of Graduation: 1965
Country: United States
Studied playwriting and dramatic literature; earned MFA.
Stanford University (Stegner Fellowship)
Creative Writing Fellowship
Period: 1966–1967
Country: United States
Completed first novel during Stegner Fellowship.

Awards

Rosenthal Award (American Academy of Arts and Letters)
1971
Work: The Bushwhacked Piano
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result: 受賞
Robert Kirsch Award (Los Angeles Times Book Prize)
2016
Category: 生涯功労
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: 受賞
Golden Plate Award (Academy of Achievement)
1993
Organization: Academy of Achievement
Result: 受賞
National Book Award
1973
Work: Ninety-Two in the Shade
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: ノミネート
National Magazine Award (finalist)
2013
Work: "River Camp"
Organization: National Magazine Awards
Result: ファイナリスト
Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award (finalist)
2015
Work: Gallatin Canyon
Organization: Frank O'Connor Award organization
Result: ファイナリスト
Honorary Doctorate (Montana State University)
1993
Organization: Montana State University
Result: 授与

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Sporting Club

1969 Fiction (novel)

Debut novel portraying rural social life and the comic irrationality of human endeavors.

HumorIrrationality of human behaviorSocial clubs

The Bushwhacked Piano

1971 Fiction (novel)

One of his early novels; noted for satirical voice and awarded the Rosenthal Award.

SatireContrast between civilization and rural life

Ninety-Two in the Shade

1973 Fiction (novel)

One of his best-known novels, a multi-voiced work influenced by 1960s–70s counterculture.

CountercultureInterpersonal relationshipsNature vs. urban life
Adaptations
  • [Film] 92 in the Shade / Thomas McGuane (1975)

Panama

1978 Autobiographical novel

A highly autobiographical novel reflecting McGuane's life; received mixed and often harsh reviews.

Self-referenceExposure of private lifeConflict between fame and art

The Longest Silence

2000 Non-fiction (essays on fly fishing and the outdoors)

Collections of essays on fly fishing and the outdoors, celebrating nature's redemptive power.

Fly fishingCelebration of naturePersonal reminiscence

Bibliography

  • The Sporting Club (1969)
  • The Bushwhacked Piano (1971)
  • Ninety-Two in the Shade (1973)
  • Panama (1978)
  • Nobody's Angel (1981)
  • The Longest Silence (2000)
  • Gallatin Canyon (2006)
  • Cloudbursts: Collected and New Stories (2018)
  • A Wooded Shore (2025)

Adaptations

  • 92 in the Shade (1975 film; McGuane directed)
  • The Missouri Breaks (1976 film; screenplay involvement)
  • Rancho Deluxe (1975 film; screenplay)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Ironical, humorous narrative voiceDetailed depiction of nature and the outdoorsConversational, rhythmic prose
Recurring Motifs
Fishing and huntingFamily relationshipsLandscapes of Montana and the American WestMasculinity and identity

Health

  • Temporary speechlessness/aphasia after car crash
    1973（自動車事故後、数日間）
    After a 1973 car crash he was speechless for several days; no long-term sequelae widely reported.

Legacy

An important figure in American literature, particularly in nature/outdoor writing and Montana literature from the late 1960s onward. Early work engaged satire and counterculture; later work returned to family and nature themes. His papers are archived at Montana State University and his achievements are recognized by awards and hall of fame inductions.

Museums

  • Montana State University Library Archives Bozeman, Montana, United States

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters

Archives

  • Thomas McGuane papers (Montana State University Archives)

In Popular Culture

  • Appeared in a 2024 film about fishing and writing in the Florida Keys with contemporaries such as Jim Harrison and Jimmy Buffett.

Quotes

  • Saul Bellow described him as "a language star."
    Source: Critical commentary / reviews

Trivia

  • Known by the nickname "Captain Berserko" during a period of his career.
  • Has lived in Montana since 1968.
  • Has three children: Annie, Maggie and Thomas.
  • Was involved in a 1973 Porsche crash and was temporarily speechless for several days.