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Tony Hillerman

トニー・ヒルーマン

Tony Hillerman

Pen Names: Anthony Grove Hillerman（birth name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1925-05-27 （Sacred Heart, Oklahoma, U.S.）
Died
2008-10-26 （Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.） age 83
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Journalist, Educator
Active Years
1948-2008
Influenced By
Arthur W. Upfield, Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, Raymond Chandler
Influenced
Anne Hillerman (daughter; continued the Leaphorn & Chee series), Contemporary mystery writers set in the American Southwest
Nominations
1972: The Fly on the Wall — Edgar Award (Best Mystery Novel) nominee, 1979: Listening Woman — Edgar Award (Best Mystery Novel) nominee, 1989: A Thief of Time — Edgar Award (Best Mystery Novel) nominee, 1992: Talking Mysteries — Edgar Award (Best Critical or Biographical) nominee

Education

University of Oklahoma
School of Journalism
Degree: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Period: 1946–1948
Year of Graduation: 1948
Country: United States
Returned after World War II and obtained a BA in journalism
University of New Mexico
Degree: Master's degree (MA)
Period: 1966
Year of Graduation: 1966
Country: United States
Earned a master's degree while living in Albuquerque

Awards

Edgar Award (Best Novel)
1974
Work: Dance Hall of the Dead
Category: Best Novel
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: 受賞
Grand Prix de Littérature Policière
1987
Work: Dance Hall of the Dead
Organization: Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (France)
Result: 受賞
Anthony Award (Best Novel)
1988
Work: Skinwalkers
Category: Best Novel
Organization: Bouchercon / Anthony Awards
Result: 受賞
Nero Award
1991
Work: Coyote Waits
Organization: The Wolfe Pack
Result: 受賞
Anthony Award (Best Anthology/Short Story Collection)
1995
Work: The Mysterious West
Category: Best Anthology/Short Story Collection
Organization: Bouchercon / Anthony Awards
Result: 受賞
Anthony Award (Best Non-fiction/Critical Work)
2002
Work: Seldom Disappointed
Category: Best Non-fiction/Critical Work
Organization: Bouchercon / Anthony Awards
Result: 受賞
Agatha Award
2001
Work: Seldom Disappointed
Organization: Malice Domestic
Result: 受賞
Macavity Award (Best Novel)
1989
Work: A Thief of Time
Organization: Mystery Readers International
Result: 受賞
Macavity Award (Best Critical/Biographical)
1992
Work: Talking Mysteries
Organization: Mystery Readers International
Result: 受賞
Honorary Doctorate of Literature (Litt.D.)
1990
Organization: University of New Mexico
Result: 授与
Owen Wister Award
2008
Category: Outstanding Contributions to the American West
Organization: Western Writers of America
Result: 受賞
Silver Star
1945
Organization: United States Army
Result: 受章
Bronze Star
1945
Organization: United States Army
Result: 受章
Purple Heart
1945
Organization: United States Army
Result: 受章
Special Friends of the Dineh Award
Organization: Navajo Nation
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Blessing Way

1970 Detective novel / Mystery

Introduces Joe Leaphorn; a mystery that weaves Navajo rituals and culture into a police investigation.

Native American cultureTradition vs. modernitySignificance of place
Adaptations
  • [Radio] The Zero Hour (five-part installment) (1973)
Translations
  • The Blessing Way (translated editions)

Dance Hall of the Dead

1973 Detective novel / Mystery

The second Leaphorn novel; a disappearance and ritual elements set against the Southwest landscape and Native cultures.

Ritual and funerary practicesMissing youthCultural conflict and understanding
Translations
  • Dance Hall of the Dead (translated editions)

Skinwalkers

1986 Detective novel / Mystery

First novel to feature both Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee; a breakout work combining Native traditions and crime.

Folklore and magicPolice collaborationTraces of place
Adaptations
  • [Television (miniseries)] Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries (2002)
Translations
  • Skinwalkers (translated editions)

A Thief of Time

1988 Detective novel / Mystery

A mystery involving archaeology and concepts of time; focuses on cultural heritage and temporality.

ArchaeologyProtection of cultural heritageTime and memory
Translations
  • A Thief of Time (translated editions)

Coyote Waits

1990 Detective novel / Mystery

A story where traditional beliefs intersect with modern crime; winner of the Nero Award.

Belief and crimeCultural conflict
Translations
  • Coyote Waits (translated editions)

Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir

2001 Memoir / Nonfiction

An autobiographical memoir recounting Hillerman's life, wartime experiences, and career as a writer.

War and returnSources of creativityFamily and regional identity
Translations
  • Seldom Disappointed (translated editions)

Bibliography

  • The Blessing Way (1970)
  • Dance Hall of the Dead (1973)
  • Listening Woman (1978)
  • People of Darkness (1980)
  • The Dark Wind (1982)
  • Skinwalkers (1986)
  • A Thief of Time (1988)
  • Coyote Waits (1990)
  • The Shape Shifter (2006)
  • Seldom Disappointed (2001)

Adaptations

  • The Dark Wind (film, 1991)
  • Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries (PBS miniseries, 2002)
  • Dark Winds (TV series, AMC, 2022- )

Translations of Works

  • Hillerman's works have been translated into multiple languages, including Japanese

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Concise, matter-of-fact proseDetailed depictions of local culture and landscapePolice procedural-driven narratives
Recurring Motifs
Southwest landscape and terrainNative American rituals and folklorePlace and memoryIntersection of law and tradition

Health

  • War wounds (multiple injuries)
    1945
    Wounded in 1945 with broken legs/foot/ankle, facial burns, and temporary blindness; subsequently recovered.
  • Pulmonary failure (cause of death)
    2008
    Died of pulmonary failure in 2008.

Legacy

Tony Hillerman is highly regarded as a mystery writer set in the American Southwest, notable for respectful depictions of Native American culture. A library in Albuquerque bears his name, and his daughter Anne Hillerman continued the series.

Museums

  • Tony Hillerman Library Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Opened in 2008

Academic Societies

  • Western Writers of America (associated)

Archives

  • Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico: Tony Hillerman Papers

In Popular Culture

  • Adaptations such as AMC's Dark Winds (2022–) have brought his work to new audiences

Quotes

  • The Navajo call me 'He who is afraid of his horse'.
    Source: Le Monde (interview) (2006)

Trivia

  • His daughter Anne Hillerman continued the Leaphorn & Chee series.
  • He sustained serious injuries and temporary blindness during World War II.
  • His books achieved notable popularity in France and other parts of Europe.