Savage West: The Life and Fiction of Thomas Savage

Thomas Savage (1915-2003) was an Intermountain West novelist who received high critical praise but low sales. His thirteen novels were set in southwestern Montana and the Mountain West, and his literary biography explores his life and work. Savage was a closeted gay family man in the rural West, navigating an intense conflict between his sexual identity and the social restraints of the rural West. His novels tell a hard, harsh story about dysfunctional families, loneliness, and stifling provincialism in the small towns and ranches of the northern Rockies, and his queer West provides a unique vision and counter-narrative to Western literature.

Format: Hardback
Length: 268 pages
Publication date: 30 October 2020
Publisher: University of Nevada Press

Thomas Savage (1915-2003) was a highly acclaimed novelist from the Intermountain West who dominated the literary scene for several decades in the 20th century. Despite receiving widespread critical acclaim for his thirteen novels, his sales remained relatively low throughout his career. While he spent much of his later life in the Northeast, his formative years were spent in southwestern Montana, where the Mountain West and his ranching family played a significant role in shaping his work.

O. Alan Weltzien's comprehensive literary biography delves into the life and work of this overlooked but profoundly talented writer. As a closeted gay man living in rural West, Savage experienced a profound conflict between his sexual identity and the suffocating social norms of the rural region. Unlike many other Western writers of his time, Savage rejected the formulaic Western narratives that were popular and instead offered a realistic and often subversive portrayal of the rural West. His novels vividly capture the harsh realities of dysfunctional families, loneliness, and the stifling provincialism found in the small towns and ranches of the northern Rockies. At the same time, his queer West provides a unique perspective and a biting counter-narrative to the dominant settler-colonialism themes that have shaped much Western literature.

Savage West is a project aimed at restoring Thomas Savage's rightful place in American literature and reintroducing contemporary readers to a major Montana writer. Through meticulous research and analysis, the book seeks to shed light on Savage's life, work, and the societal context in which he lived and wrote. By exploring his novels and his personal experiences, Savage West offers a fresh perspective on the Western genre and challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of the region and its literary legacy.

In conclusion, Thomas Savage (1915-2003) was a remarkable novelist who left an indelible mark on American literature. Despite facing challenges and obscurity during his career, his thirteen novels received high critical praise and offered a unique and subversive perspective on the rural West. O. Alan Weltzien's literary biography provides a valuable insight into Savage's life and work, restoring his well-deserved position in American literature and reintroducing contemporary readers to a major Montana writer. By exploring Savage's life and his novels, Savage West offers a fresh perspective on the Western genre and challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of the region and its literary legacy.

Weight: 586g
Dimension: 162 x 236 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781948908863