The Ox-Bow Man: A Biography Of Walter Van Tilburg Clark (Western Literature and Fiction Series)

The first full-scale biography of a major Western writer. Walter Van Tilburg Clark was one of the West’s most important literary figures, a writer who contributed mightily to the tradition of viewing the West realistically and not through the veil of myth and romance. As a comparatively young man, he published three compelling novels and a collection of short stories, then remained almost silent for the rest of his life, the victim of a paralyzing case of writer’s block. Now Jackson J. Benson, one of the country’s foremost literary biographers, has produced the first full-length biography of this brilliant, enigmatic, and ultimately tragic figure. Based on widely scattered sources—personal papers and correspondence; interviews with family members, friends, and others; and Clark’s unpublished stories and poems—Benson’s biography focuses on Clark’s intellectual and literary life as a writer, teacher, and westerner. Benson masterfully balances his engaging account of the experiences, people, and settings of Clark’s life with a penetrating examination of his complex psyche and the crippling perfectionism that virtually ended Clark’s career, as well as offering up a thoughtful assessment of Clark’s place in Western writing. In these pages, Clark lives again, a warm, complex, and ultimately anguished human being. Benson’s remarkably astute and sensitive biography is destined to be the book that readers and researchers consult first for information about this major western writer. Walter Van Tilburg Clark Was One Of The West's Most Important Literary Figures. Author Of The Classic Novel The Ox-bow Incident, He Helped To Change American Literature By Making The West A Legitimate Subject For Serious Fiction. As A Comparatively Young Man, He Published Three Novels And An Acclaimed Collection Of Short Stories, Then Remained Almost Silent For The Rest Of His Life, The Victim Of A Paralyzing Case Of Writer's Block. Now Jackson J. Benson Has Produced The First Full-length Biography Of This Enigmatic, And Ultimately Tragic Figure. Based On Widely Scattered Sources - Personal Papers And Correspondence; Clark's Unpublished Stories And Poems; And Interviews With Family Members, Friends, And Others - Benson Focuses On Clark's Intellectual And Literary Life As A Writer, Teacher, And Westerner, Balancing His Account Of The Experiences, People, And Settings Of Clark's Life With An Examination Of Clark's Complex Psyche And The Crippling Perfectionism That Virtually Ended His Career. He Also Offers An Assessment Of Clark's Place In Western Writing.--jacket. From Maine To Nevada -- Two Major Influences-robert Cole Caples And Robinson Jeffers -- Marriage, Children, And Cazenovia Central School -- The Ox-bow Incident And The Western Novel -- Writer Of Stories, Poems, And Letters -- The Ox-bow Movie And The City Of Trembling Leaves -- Back To Nevada And The Track Of The Cat -- Virginia City And The Watchful Gods And Other Stories -- Away From Home-frustration And Longing -- From Iowa City, To Omaha, And To Columbia, Missouri -- Two Resignations, Son And Father -- Alone Is Missoula And Palo Alto -- The Move To Montana And Uncompleted Writing Projects -- On To Mill Valley And To Teaching At San Francisco State -- Back To Nevada And Becoming Alf Doten -- Teaching And Telling Stories In Reno -- The Doten Journals And Declining Health -- The Sweet Promised Land Of Nevada. Jackson J. Benson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 393-414) And Index. Walter Van Tilburg Clark, author of the classic novel The Ox-Bow Incident, was one of the West's most important literary figures, a writer who contributed mightily to the tradition of viewing the West realistically and not through the veil of myth and romance. As a comparatively young man, he published three novels and a collection of short stories, then remained almost silent for the rest of his life, the victim of a paralyzing case of writer's block. Now Jackson J. Benson, one of the country's foremost literary biographers, has produced the first full-length biography of this brilliant, enigmatic, and ultimately tragic figure. Based on widely scattered sources—personal papers and correspondence; interviews with family members, friends, and others; and Clark's unpublished stories and poems—Benson's biography focuses on Clark's intellectual and literary life as a writer, teacher, and westerner. Benson masterfully balances his engaging account of the experiences, people, and settings of Clark's life with a penetrating examination of his complex psyche and the crippling perfectionism that virtually ended Clark's career, as well as offering up a thoughtful assessment of Clark's place in Western writing. In these pages, Clark lives again, a warm, complex, and ultimately anguished human being. Benson's remarkably astute and sensitive biography is destined to be the book that readers and researchers consult first for information about this major western writer. contents......Page 10 List of Illustrations......Page 12 Preface......Page 14 Acknowledgments......Page 18 chapter one From Maine to Nevada......Page 22 chapter two Two Major Influences—Robert Cole Caples and Robinson Jeffers......Page 40 chapter three Marriage, Children, and Cazenovia Central School......Page 64 chapter four The Ox-Bow Incident and the Western Novel......Page 89 chapter five Writer of Stories, Poems, and Letters......Page 109 chapter six The Ox-Bow Movie and The City of Trembling Leaves......Page 125 chapter seven Back to Nevada and The Track of the Cat......Page 147 chapter eight Virginia City and The Watchful Gods and Other Stories......Page 171 chapter nine Away from Home—Frustration and Longing......Page 197 chapter ten From Iowa City, to Omaha, and to Columbia, Missouri......Page 214 chapter eleven Two Resignations, Son and Father......Page 231 chapter twelve Alone in Missoula and in Palo Alto......Page 254 chapter thirteen The Move to Montana and Uncompleted Writing Projects......Page 275 chapter fourteen On to Mill Valley and to Teaching at San Francisco State......Page 299 chapter fifteen Back to Nevada and Becoming Alf Doten......Page 322 chapter sixteen Teaching and Telling Stories in Reno......Page 350 chapter seventeen The Doten Journals and Declining Health......Page 374 chapter eighteen The Sweet Promised Land of Nevada......Page 398 Notes and Documentation......Page 414 Index......Page 436

Walter Van Tilburg Clark was one of the West's most important literary figures. Author of the classic novel The Ox-Bow Incident, he hlped to change American literature by making the West a legitimate subject for serious fiction. As a comparatively young man, he published three compelling novels and an acclaimed collection of short stories, then remained almost silent for the rest of his life, the victim of a paralyzing case of writer's block. Now Jackson J. Benson, one of the country's foremost literary biographers, has produced the first full-length biography of this brilliant, enigmatic, and ultimately tragic figure.

Based on widely scattered sources-personal papers and correspondence; Clark's unpublished stories and poems; and interviews with family members, friends, and others-Benson focuses on Clark's intellectual and literary life as a writer, teacher, and westerner, masterfully balancing his engaging account of the experiences, people, and settings of Clark's life with a penetrating examination of Clark's complex psyche and the crippling perfectionism that virtually ended his career. He also offers a thoughtful assessment of Clark's place in Western writing. In these pages, Clark and his world live again, a warm, complicated, anguished human being in a modern West lively with change and rich in friendship and cultural excitement.

Walter Van Tilburg Clark, author of the classic novel The Ox-Bow Incident, was one of the important writers of the twentieth century. This work is an examination of a complex, anguished writer and an assessment of Clark's pivotal place in the literary history of the West. It is an examination of the literary world of the twentieth-century West.