Summary
Tony Hillerman, the old newshound with a keen sense of suspense, has died at age 83. He will be remembered as a writer of mystery novels. His 18 books, set on the Navajo and Hopi reservations, are earthy and wise, punchy and profound.
But his true legacy will run a bit deeper. For one thing, he taught a generation of American writers how Anglo authors should write about ethnic characters and culture. Not as "flat characters," as Joel Chandler Harris did in "Song of the South," but as people with complex lives and thoughts -- people who are a mix of all things good and suspect. Hillerman's two detective heroes -- the Hopi cop, Jim Chee, and the Navajo officer, Joe Leaphorn -- share joys and sorrows, fears and foibles. And because of that approach, Hillerman is being touted as a writer who brought a stunning originality to American literature despite the fact he wrote "genre" whodunits.See the full content of this document
Extract
Hillerman Was a Genre Genius
Born in Oklahoma, Hillerman work...
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