Joseph Kinsey Howard
Encyclopedia
Joseph Kinsey Howard was an American
journalist
, historian
, and author
, who wrote extensively about the history, culture, and economic circumstances of Montana
. One of the state's most noted authors of nonfiction, Howard's landmark 1943 book, Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome is a respected account of Montana history that has influenced later generations of historians. Howard also authored numerous other historic and literary works, and was a vocal, articulate and persuasive advocate for a variety of social, economic and environmental reforms. These endeavors earned Howard the posthumous sobriquet, "Montana's Conscience." Howard believed Montana and the rural West provided the "last stand against urban technological tedium" for the individual. He fervently believed that small towns of the sort that predominated in Montana provided a democratic bulwark for society. Howard's writings demonstrate his strong belief in the necessity to identify and preserve a region's cultural heritage. Howard worked first as an newspaper editor on the Great Falls Leader, later for the Montana Study (a statewide community development project), and as a freelance writer. His books, speeches and magazine articles, expressed his ideals of community awareness and identity, encouraging readers to retain an idealistic vision contesting the deadening demands of the modern world.
, and spent his early childhood years in Lethbridge
, Alberta
, with his family. In 1919 he moved with his mother to Great Falls, Montana
, where he graduated from high school
in 1923. Immediately after graduating, Howard landed a job as a reporter for the Great Falls Leader
, one of the city's two daily newspapers at the time. He was promoted to news editor at the Leader in 1926, at age 20, a position he held until 1944.
At the Leader, Howard developed a characteristic writing style that was simultaneously straightforward, evocative, and compelling, and within a few years his talent began to receive broader attention. Beginning in the mid-1930s Howard authored numerous nonfiction articles for national publications, including The Nation
, Harper's Magazine
and others. He was also a stringer
covering Montana issues for Time
and Life
magazines. Many of the essays Howard produced for these periodicals explored the difficulties faced by Montana's native Americans and other disenfranchised groups; others were exposés of what Howard saw as undue corporate influence in Montana economics and life, particularly by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company
.
Though primarily an author of nonfiction, Howard also wrote book reviews for The New York Times
and short stories that were published in The Saturday Evening Post
, Esquire
, and elsewhere.
Howard's first book-length effort was Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome, which was published in 1943. The volume was both a thoughtful history of the state, and an impassioned indictment of the corporate and bureaucratic forces that had heavily influenced much of that history. Among the book's primary targets were Anaconda Copper, which controlled much of the state's economic and political activity at the time, and the Great Northern Railway, which had lured thousands of homesteaders onto Montana land that proved wholly unsuitable for farming. The book also paid particular attention to the inappropriate and inequitable usage of the state's scarce water resources, making an open plea for reform of the system.
Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome proved to be an unquestioned landmark in the state's literary history, drawing significant attention both to Howard and the causes he espoused. The themes of corporate exploitation that Howard so convincingly and eloquently outlined became the primary focus of Montana historians for a generation to come, and became a primary theme in the works of K. Ross Toole
, the state's most noted academic historian. Howard's book remains perhaps the most influential and evocative work ever published about Montana's past.
The recognition afforded Howard by the response to Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome helped open the doors to additional writing, research, and advocacy projects. In 1944 Howard resigned his position at the Leader to become a staff member of the Montana Study, a research project largely funded by the Rockefeller Foundation
. The Study was an examination of life in small-town Montana, with the goal of identifying ways to improve the quality of life in such places and thus helping ensure their preservation. Howard remained with the Study for two years, before resigning in order to return to writing full time.
Howard's second published volume was Montana Margins: A State Anthology, completed in 1946. The book is a thick collection of short fiction, poetry, and historic narratives, covering the full spectrum of Montana's geography and history. The depth and scope of the book made it a model for later regional anthologies, such as the voluminous 1988 imitation, The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology.
The remainder of Howard's life was devoted to writing, promoting the arts in Montana, and teaching writers workshops. Aided by the support of Guggenheim Fellowship
s in 1947 and 1948, he devoted considerable effort to the writing of a history of Métis
leader Louis Riel
and his resistance movement
s against the Canadian
government. The result of this project was the book Strange Empire: A Narrative of the Northwest, published posthumously in 1952.
Howard died on August 25, 1951 after suffering a heart attack
at age 45. He is still recognized, however, as one of Montana's most talented, influential, and significant authors. His legacy was summed up by Bernard DeVoto
in 1952, who wrote, "By the time Howard died, he came closer to being the spokesman of the West than any other writer has ever been."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, who wrote extensively about the history, culture, and economic circumstances of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. One of the state's most noted authors of nonfiction, Howard's landmark 1943 book, Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome is a respected account of Montana history that has influenced later generations of historians. Howard also authored numerous other historic and literary works, and was a vocal, articulate and persuasive advocate for a variety of social, economic and environmental reforms. These endeavors earned Howard the posthumous sobriquet, "Montana's Conscience." Howard believed Montana and the rural West provided the "last stand against urban technological tedium" for the individual. He fervently believed that small towns of the sort that predominated in Montana provided a democratic bulwark for society. Howard's writings demonstrate his strong belief in the necessity to identify and preserve a region's cultural heritage. Howard worked first as an newspaper editor on the Great Falls Leader, later for the Montana Study (a statewide community development project), and as a freelance writer. His books, speeches and magazine articles, expressed his ideals of community awareness and identity, encouraging readers to retain an idealistic vision contesting the deadening demands of the modern world.
Biography
Howard was born in Oskaloosa, IowaOskaloosa, Iowa
Oskaloosa is the county seat of Mahaska County, Iowa, United States. The population was 11,463 in the 2010 census, an increase from 10,938 in the 2000 census. -History:...
, and spent his early childhood years in Lethbridge
Lethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, with his family. In 1919 he moved with his mother to Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
, where he graduated from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in 1923. Immediately after graduating, Howard landed a job as a reporter for the Great Falls Leader
Great Falls Leader
The Great Falls Leader was a daily evening newspaper published in Great Falls, Montana. Established in 1888, the Leader was one of two daily newspapers in the city for much of its history, competing with the morning Great Falls Tribune...
, one of the city's two daily newspapers at the time. He was promoted to news editor at the Leader in 1926, at age 20, a position he held until 1944.
At the Leader, Howard developed a characteristic writing style that was simultaneously straightforward, evocative, and compelling, and within a few years his talent began to receive broader attention. Beginning in the mid-1930s Howard authored numerous nonfiction articles for national publications, including The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
and others. He was also a stringer
Stringer
Stringer may refer to:* Stringer , a type of freelance journalism* Stringer * Stringer , or longeron, a strip of wood or metal to which the skin of an aircraft is fastened...
covering Montana issues for Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
and Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazines. Many of the essays Howard produced for these periodicals explored the difficulties faced by Montana's native Americans and other disenfranchised groups; others were exposés of what Howard saw as undue corporate influence in Montana economics and life, particularly by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company
Anaconda Copper
Anaconda Copper Mining Company was one of the largest trusts of the early 20th century. The Anaconda was purchased by Atlantic Richfield Company on January 12, 1977...
.
Though primarily an author of nonfiction, Howard also wrote book reviews for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and short stories that were published in The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
, Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, and elsewhere.
Howard's first book-length effort was Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome, which was published in 1943. The volume was both a thoughtful history of the state, and an impassioned indictment of the corporate and bureaucratic forces that had heavily influenced much of that history. Among the book's primary targets were Anaconda Copper, which controlled much of the state's economic and political activity at the time, and the Great Northern Railway, which had lured thousands of homesteaders onto Montana land that proved wholly unsuitable for farming. The book also paid particular attention to the inappropriate and inequitable usage of the state's scarce water resources, making an open plea for reform of the system.
Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome proved to be an unquestioned landmark in the state's literary history, drawing significant attention both to Howard and the causes he espoused. The themes of corporate exploitation that Howard so convincingly and eloquently outlined became the primary focus of Montana historians for a generation to come, and became a primary theme in the works of K. Ross Toole
K. Ross Toole
Kenneth Ross Toole was an American historian, author, and educator who specialized in the history of Montana...
, the state's most noted academic historian. Howard's book remains perhaps the most influential and evocative work ever published about Montana's past.
The recognition afforded Howard by the response to Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome helped open the doors to additional writing, research, and advocacy projects. In 1944 Howard resigned his position at the Leader to become a staff member of the Montana Study, a research project largely funded by the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
. The Study was an examination of life in small-town Montana, with the goal of identifying ways to improve the quality of life in such places and thus helping ensure their preservation. Howard remained with the Study for two years, before resigning in order to return to writing full time.
Howard's second published volume was Montana Margins: A State Anthology, completed in 1946. The book is a thick collection of short fiction, poetry, and historic narratives, covering the full spectrum of Montana's geography and history. The depth and scope of the book made it a model for later regional anthologies, such as the voluminous 1988 imitation, The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology.
The remainder of Howard's life was devoted to writing, promoting the arts in Montana, and teaching writers workshops. Aided by the support of Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
s in 1947 and 1948, he devoted considerable effort to the writing of a history of Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
leader Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
and his resistance movement
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
s against the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
government. The result of this project was the book Strange Empire: A Narrative of the Northwest, published posthumously in 1952.
Howard died on August 25, 1951 after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at age 45. He is still recognized, however, as one of Montana's most talented, influential, and significant authors. His legacy was summed up by Bernard DeVoto
Bernard DeVoto
Bernard Augustine DeVoto was an American historian and author who specialized in the history of the American West.- Life and work :He was born in Ogden, Utah...
in 1952, who wrote, "By the time Howard died, he came closer to being the spokesman of the West than any other writer has ever been."
Principal Works
- Montana: High, Wide and Handsome. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1943.
- Montana Margins: A State Anthology. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1946.
- Strange Empire: A Narrative of the Northwest. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1952.
External links
- School of Journalism biography of Howard
- Short biography and picture of Howard
- Guide to the Joseph Kinsey Howard Papers at the University of Montana The collection consists primarily of galley proofs and other materials relating to Howard's books.