Thomas Savage (novelist)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Savage was an American
author
of 13 novels published between 1944 and 1988. He is best known for his Western
novels, which drew on early experiences in the American West
.
, in 1915 to Elizabeth (Yearian) and Benjamin Savage. His parents divorced when he was two years old and, when his mother remarried three years later, he moved with her to a ranch in Beaverhead County, Montana
. After graduating from Beaverhead County High School
, he studied writing at Montana State College (today the University of Montana), transferring to Colby College
in Waterville, Maine
, where he received a B.A. in 1940.
By the time he was twenty-nine, Savage had worked as a wrangler, ranch hand, welder, and railroad brakeman. Following the publication of his first novel, The Pass, Savage secured a teaching position at Suffolk University
in Boston, Massachusetts
, where he taught from 1947-1948. He left Suffolk in 1949 for an assistant professorship at Brandeis University
in Waltham, Massachusetts
. By 1955, Savage was able to stop teaching and focus on his writing full time.
In 1955, Savage and his wife purchased a home in Georgetown, Maine
, where they would remain for nearly thirty years. In 1982, the Savages built a home on Whidbey Island
in Puget Sound
, on property given to him by a sister he met only in adulthood. Following the death of his wife in 1989, Savage lived briefly in Seattle and San Francisco, before moving to Virginia Beach, Virginia in order to be near his daughter. He died in Virginia, July 25, 2003, at the age of eighty-eight.
under the name Tom Brenner. Annie Proulx has noted that the story was "unremarkable except for its unusual subject matter," breaking a horse.
His last novel, The Corner of Rife and Pacific, was nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award and received the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award
in 1989.
When asked to speak of his influences, Savage stated "Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
, is one of the best novels I ever read. I was influenced by John Steinbeck
, Robert Benchley
, and Dorothy Parker
. I was a history major, read little fiction, chiefly biography and history. I read S.J. Perelman."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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:...
of 13 novels published between 1944 and 1988. He is best known for his Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
novels, which drew on early experiences in the American West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
.
Background
Savage was born in Salt Lake City, UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, in 1915 to Elizabeth (Yearian) and Benjamin Savage. His parents divorced when he was two years old and, when his mother remarried three years later, he moved with her to a ranch in Beaverhead County, Montana
Beaverhead County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Beaverhead National Forest * Big Hole National Battlefield* Nez Perce National Historical Park * Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge-History:...
. After graduating from Beaverhead County High School
Beaverhead County High School
Beaverhead County High School is a high school in the small town of Dillon, Beaverhead County, Montana.In 2005 it had 412 students and 24 teachers. The students were 97% white, and the remainder Hispanic. 7% were eligible for free lunch, compared to a state average of 29%.-Sports:The Dillon Beavers...
, he studied writing at Montana State College (today the University of Montana), transferring to Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
in Waterville, Maine
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
, where he received a B.A. in 1940.
By the time he was twenty-nine, Savage had worked as a wrangler, ranch hand, welder, and railroad brakeman. Following the publication of his first novel, The Pass, Savage secured a teaching position at Suffolk University
Suffolk University
Suffolk University is a private, non-sectarian, university located in Boston, Massachusetts and with over 16,000 students it is the third largest university in Boston...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he taught from 1947-1948. He left Suffolk in 1949 for an assistant professorship at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
. By 1955, Savage was able to stop teaching and focus on his writing full time.
In 1955, Savage and his wife purchased a home in Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. Home to Reid State Park, the town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where they would remain for nearly thirty years. In 1982, the Savages built a home on Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
in Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, on property given to him by a sister he met only in adulthood. Following the death of his wife in 1989, Savage lived briefly in Seattle and San Francisco, before moving to Virginia Beach, Virginia in order to be near his daughter. He died in Virginia, July 25, 2003, at the age of eighty-eight.
Writing career
Savage published his first story, "The Bronc Stomper," in 1937 in CoronetCoronet (magazine)
Coronet was a general interest digest magazine published from October 13, 1936, to March 1971 and ran for 299 issues. The magazine was owned by Esquire and published by David A. Smart from 1936 to 1961.-Typical issue:...
under the name Tom Brenner. Annie Proulx has noted that the story was "unremarkable except for its unusual subject matter," breaking a horse.
His last novel, The Corner of Rife and Pacific, was nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award and received the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award
Since 1965, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, or PNBA, has presented annual awards to recognize excellence in writing from the American Pacific Northwest...
in 1989.
When asked to speak of his influences, Savage stated "Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
Evan S. Connell
Evan Shelby Connell, Jr. is an American novelist, poet, and short story-writer. He has also published under the name Evan S. Connell, Jr. His writing has covered a variety of genres, although he has published most frequently in fiction.In 2009, Connell was nominated for the Man Booker...
, is one of the best novels I ever read. I was influenced by John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
, Robert Benchley
Robert Benchley
Robert Charles Benchley was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor...
, and Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th century urban foibles....
. I was a history major, read little fiction, chiefly biography and history. I read S.J. Perelman."
Awards
- Honorary M.F.A.Honorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Colby College, 1952 - Guggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim 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...
, 1979 - Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association AwardPacific Northwest Booksellers Association AwardSince 1965, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, or PNBA, has presented annual awards to recognize excellence in writing from the American Pacific Northwest...
, 1989 for The Corner of Rife and Pacific
Novels
- The Pass (1944)
- Lona Hanson (1948)
- A Bargain with God (1953)
- Trust in Chariots (1961)
- The Power of the Dog (1967)
- The Liar (1969)
- Daddy's Girl (1970)
- A Strange God (1974)
- Midnight Line (1976)
- I Heard My Sister Speak My Name (1977) (now published as The Sheep Queen)
- Her Side of It (1981)
- For Mary with Love (1983)
- The Corner of Rife and Pacific (1988)