Dammit. Got the sad news over the weekend that Daniel Woodrell has died. An absolutely badass writer who sang the ballads of country noir in the Missouri Ozarks. Pancreatic cancer got him, and that’s a tough way to go. He’s best known for his novel Winter’s Bone, which was turned into a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence — but my favorite of his books was Woe To Live On, a tale of the Missouri guerrillas in the Civil War. That, too, was turned into a movie — the excellent Ride With The Devil.
It feels as real as a Colt .44 slug to the belly.
From the NYT obit:
He gained command of Old Testament diction, and he sought out themes, like clan loyalty or murder or betrayal, used since ancient times.
“He writes high Greek tragedy about low people, and he never panders or looks down on the people he writes about,” the writer Dennis Lehane told Esquire. “As a prose stylist, he’s done what all the best do: taken the regional voice of the world he writes about and turned it into poetry.”
If you haven’t read Woe To Live On, do it. It’s top-shelf Frontier Partisans storytelling. If you have, read it again. I’m fixin’ to — it’s the best way to honor one helluva writer gone up the trail.
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Here’s another Field Ethos collab on a swanky rifle:
It’s called an Exception rifle because the 9.3x62mm is, in many African countries, an exception to the minimum .375 caliber for dangerous game. Given its storied record, that makes sense. The Sauer/Field Ethos is being billed as the Ultimate Adventure Rifle. And it carries a commensurate price tag at $2,700.
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A fine tale of a man who knew his way around a fine rifle…
The Vintage Gun Journal has a fine article on the resurfacing of the skin of the Tala Des tigress, one of the man-eaters hunted down by the renowned Jim Corbett. The hunt took place in 1929. The tigress was crippled by infected porcupine quills, which turned her to man as prey. Helluva tale. And oh, that Rigby rifle…
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I have become somewhat obsessed with the work of Don Oelze. Raiders Road, Old Mexico is just stunning:
“Throughout the 19th century, the Apache Indians asserted dominance over the US-Mexico border, marking a profound clash of cultures. Renowned as fierce warriors and raiders, the mere mention of Apaches struck fear into Mexican farmers, ranchers, and villagers, synonymous with theft and frequent violence. In my artwork, I depict these Apache raiders, laden with plunder, traversing a rugged mountain pass toward the border. Along this perilous route, the Mexicans have erected a humble shrine, seeking blessings and protection from dreaded encounters with the so called Apache menace.”
H.P. says
Woe To Live On is one of the few Woodrell novels I haven’t read, so I will have to pick it up to honor his memory.
JimC says
You will love it.
Chas S Clifton says
I both read and saw Winter’s Bone, and it has stuck with me. Saw only the movie, “Ride with the Devil,” also good, except whoever through that Union cavalry moving in open country would ride in a big clump instead of column-of-fours! Humph.
There’s a photographer named Brendon Burton in Portland whose esthetic fits right into Winter’s Bone. https://flickr.com/photos/burtoo/21966981735/
This one might be his–I think it is– but it evoked Winter’s Bone when I first saw it:
https://dreamin-of-somewhere-else.tumblr.com/post/156775916665/not-my-picture
JimC says
Holy smokes — does it ever. Thanks for these.
Reese Crawford says
That shotgun she’s holding is an old mossberg bolt action. Made as a cheap option during the depression. Just adds to the esthetic.
Matthew says
Here’s a short video on Frost Giant’s Daughter by REH:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2fGMEl2s7I
It compares the story to a Greek myth.
David Wrolson says
Love the picture of the guy with the rifle over his shoulder and carying it by the barrel in the “African Carry” method-Yep, that is a true “Africa” rifle. LOL.
This is my post on Smoke of Africa that mentions this carry method.
https://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/2018/04/after-giant-kudu-and-breeding-herd-of.html
>>>”The following picture shows the party setting off after the big Kudu bull. I just noticed that Chris is using the “African Carry” as the method for carrying his rifle. The “African Carry” method of firearms handling has become a family joke over time and it is funny to see Chris using this method.
By way of explanation, the “African Carry” is when you grasp the rifle by the barrel with one hand and carry it facing forward over your shoulder. As you can see, it may not be the safest method to carry a weapon when you are following other people.”<<<<
Wayne says
Woodrell also wrote some excellent crime novels (Muscle for the Wing, Give Us a Kiss, etc.). He was one of my favorite authors. The Arkansas side of the Ozarks is my old stomping grounds and his dialogue and descriptions ring true. I know those people. Read anything by him and you’ll be satisfied.
JimC says
I loved those too, and I’m stealing from Under The Bright Lights for an essay for my newspaper Substack today.