Tony Hillerman
Encyclopedia
Tony Hillerman was an award-winning American
author of detective novels and non-fiction works best known for his Navajo Tribal Police
mystery novels. Several of his works have been adapted as big-screen and television movies.
, and was a decorated combat veteran of World War II
, having served as a mortarman in the 103rd Infantry Division. He earned the Silver Star
, the Bronze Star
, and a Purple Heart
.
From 1948–1962, he worked as a journalist, then earned a master's degree. He taught journalism from 1966 to 1987 at the University of New Mexico
in Albuquerque
, and also began writing novels. He lived there with his wife until his death in 2008.
Hillerman, a consistently bestselling author, was ranked as New Mexico's 22nd wealthiest man in 1996.
Hillerman wrote 18 books in his Navajo series. He wrote more than 30 books total, among them a memoir and books about the Southwest, its beauty and its history.
His literary honors were awarded for his Navajo books. He was also awarded the Parris Award (named in honor of Parris Afton Bonds) by Southwest Writer's Workshop for his outstanding service to other writers. Hillerman books have been translated into eight languages, among them Danish and Japanese.
Hillerman's writing is noted for the cultural details he provides about his subjects: Hopi
, Zuni, European-American, federal agents, and especially Navajo Tribal Police
. His works in nonfiction and in fiction reflect his appreciation of the natural wonders of the American Southwest
and his appreciation of its people, particularly the Navajo
.
His mystery novels are set in the Four Corners area of New Mexico
and Arizona
, sometimes reaching into Colorado
and Utah
and beyond, sometimes to Washington, DC, Los Angeles and other areas. The protagonists are Joe Leaphorn
and Jim Chee
of the Navajo
tribal police. Lt. Leaphorn was introduced in Hillerman's first novel, The Blessing Way
(1970). The second book in the series, Dance Hall of the Dead
(1973), won a 1974 Edgar Award
from the Mystery Writers of America
for Best Novel. In 1991, Hillerman received the MWA's Grand Master Award. Hillerman has also received the Nero Award
(for Coyote Waits) and the Navajo Tribe's
Special Friends of the Dineh Award.
Hillerman repeatedly acknowledged his debt to an earlier series of mystery novels written by the British-born Australian author Arthur W. Upfield and set among tribal aborigines
in remote desert regions of tropical and subtropical Australia. The Upfield novels began to be published in 1928 and featured a half-European, half-aboriginal Australian hero, Detective-inspector Napoleon (Bony) Bonaparte
. Bony worked with deep understanding of tribal traditions. The character was based on the achievements of an aborigine known as Tracker Leon, whom Upfield had met during his years in the Australian bush.
Hillerman discussed his debt to Upfield in many interviews and in his introduction to the posthumous 1984 reprint of Upfield's A Royal Abduction. In the introduction, he described the appeal of the descriptions in Upfield's crime novels. It was descriptions both of the harsh outback areas and of "the people who somehow survived upon them" that lured him. "When my own Jim Chee of the Navaho Tribal Police unravels a mystery because he understands the ways of his people, when he reads the signs in the sandy bottom of a reservation arroyo, he is walking in the tracks Bony made 50 years ago."
Hillerman died on October 26, 2008, of pulmonary failure in Albuquerque at the age of 83.
Chee takes a more traditional Navajo worldview, believing in the power of traditional singers and other rituals; however, he has come to take a more figurative or symbolic view of chindi
, Navajo ghosts. Leaphorn does respect tradition. "While Leaphorn was no longer truly a traditional," said Hillerman in Hunting Badger (1999, page 44), "he still treasured the old ways of his people."
In many novels, Leaphorn and/or Chee investigate reports of witchcraft or other supernatural events, often while at the same time investigating seemingly unrelated crimes of a more ordinary sort. In many cases the two are related, the supernatural events being staged as a way to cover up the other crimes. Many novels also explore the interaction of traditional Navajo culture with the bilagáana, or white man; Chee, especially, sees this assimilation as destroying Navajo culture and making it difficult for many to fit into either world. In particular, several characters are "Relocation Navajos," raised in Los Angeles
after a government program of the 1930s relocated them.
The Navajo idea of hózhǫ́ is frequently referred to. This refers to beauty, harmony, and the interconnectedness of the natural world. The crime in a Hillerman novel is a synecdoche
for that which destroys hozho. In addition to "white" versus "Navajo" culture, Hillerman often explores differences in social status in white society. For example, many wealthy antagonists feel that the status brought by their money allows them to do certain things that would be considered immoral. Some of the lower-class antagonists feel jealousy and a desire to be seen as equals.
Following the Navajo tradition of giving names based on personal attributes, Hillerman often refers to unnamed characters by descriptive nicknames. For example, a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses is called "Goldrims" until his name is identified later in the book; a boy wearing a Superman
sweatshirt, a boy who is the grandson of a man under investigation, is called "Supergrandson." A murder victim is referred to as "Pointed Shoes" even after the body is identified.
as the inspiration in part for his novel Eye of Cat
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author of detective novels and non-fiction works best known for his Navajo Tribal Police
Navajo Tribal Police
The Navajo Nation Police is the law enforcement agency on the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern United States. It is under the Navajo Division of Public Safety. It is headed by a Chief of Police, six Police Captains and eight Police Lieutenants...
mystery novels. Several of his works have been adapted as big-screen and television movies.
Biography
Anthony Grove Hillerman was born in Sacred Heart, OklahomaSacred Heart, Oklahoma
Sacred Heart is a small unincorporated community in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. Established in 1879 by Father Isidore Robot as a Catholic mission on the old Pottawatomie reserve, it was originally named Sacred Heart Mission. The name was changed to Sacred Heart in 1888 shortly...
, and was a decorated combat veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, having served as a mortarman in the 103rd Infantry Division. He earned the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
, the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, and a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
.
From 1948–1962, he worked as a journalist, then earned a master's degree. He taught journalism from 1966 to 1987 at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
in Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, and also began writing novels. He lived there with his wife until his death in 2008.
Hillerman, a consistently bestselling author, was ranked as New Mexico's 22nd wealthiest man in 1996.
Hillerman wrote 18 books in his Navajo series. He wrote more than 30 books total, among them a memoir and books about the Southwest, its beauty and its history.
His literary honors were awarded for his Navajo books. He was also awarded the Parris Award (named in honor of Parris Afton Bonds) by Southwest Writer's Workshop for his outstanding service to other writers. Hillerman books have been translated into eight languages, among them Danish and Japanese.
Hillerman's writing is noted for the cultural details he provides about his subjects: Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
, Zuni, European-American, federal agents, and especially Navajo Tribal Police
Navajo Tribal Police
The Navajo Nation Police is the law enforcement agency on the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern United States. It is under the Navajo Division of Public Safety. It is headed by a Chief of Police, six Police Captains and eight Police Lieutenants...
. His works in nonfiction and in fiction reflect his appreciation of the natural wonders of the American Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and his appreciation of its people, particularly the Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
.
His mystery novels are set in the Four Corners area of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, sometimes reaching into Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Utah
Utah
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...
and beyond, sometimes to Washington, DC, Los Angeles and other areas. The protagonists are Joe Leaphorn
Joe Leaphorn
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is a fictional character created by American mystery writer Tony Hillerman, one of two officers of the Navajo Tribal Police that feature in a number of novels. The other officer is Jim Chee.- Profile :...
and Jim Chee
Jim Chee
Jim Chee is one of two Navajo Tribal Police detectives in a series of mystery novels by Tony Hillerman. Unlike his superior Joe Leaphorn, the "Legendary Lieutenant", Chee wants to be a staunch believer in traditional Navajo culture; indeed, he is studying to be a traditional healer at the same...
of the Navajo
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
tribal police. Lt. Leaphorn was introduced in Hillerman's first novel, The Blessing Way
The Blessing Way
The Blessing Way is the first of the Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman and introduces on-going series character Joe Leaphorn.-Plot summary:...
(1970). The second book in the series, Dance Hall of the Dead
Dance Hall of the Dead
Dance Hall Of The Dead is the second of the Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman. Centered around the character of police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, Dance Hall of the Dead is, like many of Hillerman's books, set on the Navajo Reservation in the Four Corners region of...
(1973), won a 1974 Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
from the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
for Best Novel. In 1991, Hillerman received the MWA's Grand Master Award. Hillerman has also received the Nero Award
Nero Award
The Nero Award is a literary award for excellence in the mystery genre presented by The Wolfe Pack, a society founded in 1978 to explore and celebrate the Nero Wolfe stories of Rex Stout...
(for Coyote Waits) and the Navajo Tribe's
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
Special Friends of the Dineh Award.
Hillerman repeatedly acknowledged his debt to an earlier series of mystery novels written by the British-born Australian author Arthur W. Upfield and set among tribal aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
in remote desert regions of tropical and subtropical Australia. The Upfield novels began to be published in 1928 and featured a half-European, half-aboriginal Australian hero, Detective-inspector Napoleon (Bony) Bonaparte
Bony (Fictional Character)
Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is a half Aboriginal, half-white detective character created by Arthur Upfield. Bony appeared in dozens of Upfield's novels from the late 1920s until the author's death in 1964.-Early life:...
. Bony worked with deep understanding of tribal traditions. The character was based on the achievements of an aborigine known as Tracker Leon, whom Upfield had met during his years in the Australian bush.
Hillerman discussed his debt to Upfield in many interviews and in his introduction to the posthumous 1984 reprint of Upfield's A Royal Abduction. In the introduction, he described the appeal of the descriptions in Upfield's crime novels. It was descriptions both of the harsh outback areas and of "the people who somehow survived upon them" that lured him. "When my own Jim Chee of the Navaho Tribal Police unravels a mystery because he understands the ways of his people, when he reads the signs in the sandy bottom of a reservation arroyo, he is walking in the tracks Bony made 50 years ago."
Hillerman died on October 26, 2008, of pulmonary failure in Albuquerque at the age of 83.
Legacy and honors
- In Albuquerque, Tony Hillerman Middle School is named after him.
- The Tony Hillerman Library of Albuquerque was named for him.
Common themes of Leaphorn and Chee books
A number of themes and elements are common to many of Hillerman's Navajo mysteries. Many of them focus on the different attitudes that Leaphorn and Chee take toward Navajo. Leaphorn is somewhat skeptical of tradition, although he takes seriously reports of witchcraft. He does not believe in witches, but following a murder-suicide early in his career, in which a man killed three people whom he believed to be skinwalkers, Leaphorn realizes that belief in witches can lead to problems.Chee takes a more traditional Navajo worldview, believing in the power of traditional singers and other rituals; however, he has come to take a more figurative or symbolic view of chindi
Chindi
In Navajo religious belief, a chindi is the ghost left behind after a person dies, believed to leave the body with the deceased's last breath. It is everything that was bad about the person; the "residue that man has been unable to bring into universal harmony". Traditional Navajo believe that...
, Navajo ghosts. Leaphorn does respect tradition. "While Leaphorn was no longer truly a traditional," said Hillerman in Hunting Badger (1999, page 44), "he still treasured the old ways of his people."
In many novels, Leaphorn and/or Chee investigate reports of witchcraft or other supernatural events, often while at the same time investigating seemingly unrelated crimes of a more ordinary sort. In many cases the two are related, the supernatural events being staged as a way to cover up the other crimes. Many novels also explore the interaction of traditional Navajo culture with the bilagáana, or white man; Chee, especially, sees this assimilation as destroying Navajo culture and making it difficult for many to fit into either world. In particular, several characters are "Relocation Navajos," raised in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
after a government program of the 1930s relocated them.
The Navajo idea of hózhǫ́ is frequently referred to. This refers to beauty, harmony, and the interconnectedness of the natural world. The crime in a Hillerman novel is a synecdoche
Synecdoche
Synecdoche , meaning "simultaneous understanding") is a figure of speech in which a term is used in one of the following ways:* Part of something is used to refer to the whole thing , or...
for that which destroys hozho. In addition to "white" versus "Navajo" culture, Hillerman often explores differences in social status in white society. For example, many wealthy antagonists feel that the status brought by their money allows them to do certain things that would be considered immoral. Some of the lower-class antagonists feel jealousy and a desire to be seen as equals.
Following the Navajo tradition of giving names based on personal attributes, Hillerman often refers to unnamed characters by descriptive nicknames. For example, a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses is called "Goldrims" until his name is identified later in the book; a boy wearing a Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
sweatshirt, a boy who is the grandson of a man under investigation, is called "Supergrandson." A murder victim is referred to as "Pointed Shoes" even after the body is identified.
Trivia
Hillerman was credited by Roger ZelaznyRoger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
as the inspiration in part for his novel Eye of Cat
Eye of Cat
-Plot summary:When the galaxy's most skilled hunter is asked to use his skill to protect an important political mission, he realizes that he needs specialized aid. Thus Billy Singer must seek the telepathic creature only known as "Cat", whom he had caught and trapped for a museum...
.
Leaphorn and Chee books
- The Blessing WayThe Blessing WayThe Blessing Way is the first of the Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman and introduces on-going series character Joe Leaphorn.-Plot summary:...
(1970) ISBN 0-06-011896-2 - Dance Hall of the DeadDance Hall of the DeadDance Hall Of The Dead is the second of the Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman. Centered around the character of police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, Dance Hall of the Dead is, like many of Hillerman's books, set on the Navajo Reservation in the Four Corners region of...
(1973) ISBN 0-06-011898-9 - Listening Woman (1978) ISBN 0-06-011901-2
- People Of DarknessPeople Of DarknessPeople of Darkness is the first Tony Hillerman novel to feature Officer Jim Chee. The plot involves a stolen box and an explosion at an oil well. The novel introduces one of Chee's long-running love interests, white schoolteacher Mary Landon. The ambiguous status of peyote usage within both Navajo...
(1980) ISBN 0-06-011907-1 - The Dark WindThe Dark WindThe Dark Wind is the second Tony Hillerman novel to feature Officer Jim Chee. Recent college graduate Jim Chee has just taken a job with the Navajo Tribal Police in Arizona, where he helps keep the peace with his superior Captain Largo on land earmarked for joint use by the Navajo and the Hopi...
(1982) ISBN 0-06-014936-1 - The GhostwayThe GhostwayThe Ghostway is the sixth book by Tony Hillerman. The plot involves two men who shoot each other at a laundromat, a runaway teenage girl, an abandoned hogan, an aluminum trailer, and a car theft ring. The main character is Jim Chee, an officer for the Navajo Tribal Police who must solve the murder...
(1984) ISBN 0-06-015396-2 - SkinwalkersSkinwalkers (novel)Skinwalkers a mystery novel, is the seventh book by author Tony Hillerman.-Plot summary:When an unknown assailant tries to kill Officer Jim Chee by firing a shotgun into his trailer, and three other people are found murdered in different locations around the Navajo reservation, Chee and Lieutenant...
(1986) ISBN 0-06-015695-3 - A Thief of TimeA Thief of TimeA Thief of Time is the eighth novel by author Tony Hillerman.The plot involves the Anasazi, a missing archeologist, a stolen backhoe, and people who are termed "pot hunters".Characters include Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee....
(1988) ISBN 0-06-015938-3 - Talking GodTalking GodTalking God is a novel by Tony Hillerman.A considerable portion of the book actually takes place in Washington, D.C. rather than in the American Southwest, where many of Tony Hillerman's books take place. The cover of at least some copies of the book includes a picture of a scene from Washington,...
(1989) ISBN 0-06-016118-3 - Coyote WaitsCoyote WaitsCoyote Waits is a novel by Tony Hillerman. It was adapted as a TV film, which aired in 2003.-Coyote Waits :The plot involves rock formation vandalism, a dead policeman, an elderly Navajo accused of his murder, a bottle of expensive scotch, and a book on Navajo witchcraft beliefs.This book...
(1990) ISBN 0-06-016370-4 - Sacred ClownsSacred ClownsSacred Clowns is a 1993 novel by Tony Hillerman. It involves koshares, or sacred clowns, which the book is named after.the story also involves several homicides and the relationship between Jim Chee and Janet Pete....
(1993) ISBN 0-06-016767-X - The Fallen ManThe Fallen ManThe Fallen Man is a Tony Hillerman novel about a corpse found by a group of mountain climbers on Ship Rock or "the rock with wings".The book features the characters Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee...
(1996) ISBN 0-06-017773-X - The First EagleThe First EagleThe First Eagle is a 1998 Tony Hillerman novel involving eagle poaching, the plague, a missing biologist, and a homicide of a police officer.It features the characters Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, "Cowboy" Dashee, Robert Jano, Janet Pete, Louisa Bourbonette, and Catherine Pollard.-External links:* with...
(1998) ISBN 0-06-017581-8 - Hunting BadgerHunting BadgerHunting Badger is a 1999 novel by Tony Hillerman involving the armed robbery of a Ute Indian gambling casino by three men in which two security guards are shot....
(1999) ISBN 0-06-019289-5 - The Wailing WindThe Wailing WindThe Wailing Wind, a New York Times best-seller, is the fifteenth in the Chee/Leaphorn Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman.-Plot summary:...
(2002) ISBN 0-06-019444-8 - The Sinister PigThe Sinister PigThe Sinister Pig is the sixteenth in the Chee/Leaphorn Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman and a New York Times best-seller.-Plot summary:...
(2003) ISBN 0-06-019443-X - Skeleton ManSkeleton Man (Tony Hillerman novel)Skeleton Man is a New York Times best-seller and is seventeenth in the Chee/Leaphorn Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman.-Plot summary:...
(2004) ISBN 0-06-056344-3 - The Shape ShifterThe Shape ShifterThe Shape Shifter is eighteenth in the Chee/Leaphorn Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels by Tony Hillerman. A New York Times best-seller and the last Chee/Leaphorn novel before Hillerman's death on October 26, 2008.-Characters:...
(2006) ISBN 978-0-06-056345-5
Three-in-one volumes
- The Joe Leaphorn Mysteries: Three Classic Hillerman Mysteries Featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn: The Blessing Way, Dance Hall of the Dead, Listening Woman (1989) ISBN 0-06-016174-4
- The Jim Chee Mysteries: Three Classic Hillerman Mysteries Featuring Officer Jim Chee: People of Darkness, The Dark Wind, The Ghostway (1990) ISBN 0-06-016478-6 The first appearance of Jim Chee in the Leaphorn-Chee series is in People of Darkness. In these three books, Joe Leaphorn is only briefly mentioned once, as "Captain Leaphorn at the Chinle substation" (POD, ch. 6). In the later books, where he is again prominent along with Jim Chee, he is "Lieutenant Leaphorn."
- Tony Hillerman: Three Jim Chee Mysteries: People of Darkness, The Dark Wind, The Ghostway (1993) ISBN 0517092816
- Leaphorn & Chee: Three Classic Mysteries Featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee : Skinwalkers, A Thief of Time, Talking God (1992) ISBN 0-06-016909-5
- Leaphorn & Chee: Three Classic Mysteries Featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee: Skinwalkers, A Thief of Time, Talking God (2001) ISBN 0-06-018789-1
- Tony Hillerman: The Leaphorn & Chee Novels: Skinwalkers, A Thief of Time, Coyote Waits (2005) ISBN 0-06-075338-2
- Tony Hillerman: Leaphorn, Chee, and More: The Fallen Man, The First Eagle, Hunting Badger (2005) ISBN 0-06-082078-0
Other novels
- The Fly on the Wall (1971) ISBN 0-06-011897-0
- Finding MoonFinding MoonFinding Moon is a novel written in 1996 by Tony Hillerman. The novel is based on an idea that Hillerman had developed and intended to set in post-World War II Europe; in fact, many characters are named after soldiers he knew while serving...
(1995) ISBN 0-06-017772-1 - The Boy Who Made Dragonfly (for children) (1972) ISBN 0-06-022312-X
- Buster Mesquite's Cowboy Band (for children) (1973) ISBN 0914001116
Other books by Hillerman (memoirs, non-fiction, anthologies)
- Seldom DisappointedSeldom DisappointedSeldom Disappointed: A Memoir is the 2001 autobiography of author Tony Hillerman. The title reflects the attitude that he learned as a child living on a farm in Oklahoma; if one learns not to have unrealistic expectations, one will often be pleasantly surprised and seldom disappointed....
: A Memoir by Tony Hillerman (2001) ISBN 0-06-019445-6 - The Great Taos Bank Robbery (1973) ISBN 0-8263-0306-4
- The Spell of New Mexico (1976) ISBN 0-8263-0420-6
- Indian Country (1987) ISBN 0-87358-432-5
- Talking Mysteries (with Ernie Bulow) (1991) ISBN 0-8263-1279-9
- The Tony Hillerman Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to His Life and Work by Hillerman, Martin Greenberg (1994) ISBN 0-06-017034-4
- The Oxford book of American Detective Stories (1996) ISBN 0-19-508581-7
- Canyon De Chelly (1998) ISBN 1893205258
- Best American Mysteries of the Century (2000) ISBN 0-618-06757-4
- Best of the Western anthology of classic writing from the America West (1991) ISBN 0-06-016664-9
- New Omnibus of Crime (2005) ISBN 0195182146
- The Mysterious West (1995) ISBN 0-06-017785-3
About Hillerman, non-fiction, by others
- Tony Hillerman's Navajoland: Hideouts, Haunts and Havens in the Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee Mysteries by Laurance D. Linford, Tony Hillerman (2001) ISBN 0-87480-698-4; Expanded Third Edition (2011) ISBN 978-1-60781-137-4.
- Tony Hillerman's Indian Country Map & Guide, first edition by Time Traveler Maps by Tony Hillerman (1998) ISBN 1-892040-01-8
- Tony Hillerman's Indian Country Map & Guide, second edition by Time Traveler Maps by Tony Hillerman (2003) ISBN 1-892040-10-7
- The Ethnic Detective by Peter Freese – including a detailed analysis of Listening Woman
- Tony Hillerman: A Critical Companion (Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers) by John M. Reilly (1996) ISBN 978-0313294167
Books of photos
- Kilroy Was There (2004) ISBN 0873388070
- Hillerman Country (1991) ISBN 0-06-016400-X
- Indian Country: America's Sacred Land Bela Kalman (text by Hillerman) (1987) ISBN 0873584325
- Rio Grande Robert Reynolds (text by Hillerman) (1975) ISBN 0-912856-18-1
- New Mexico Photography by David Muench (text by Hillerman) (1975) ISBN 0-912856-14-9
Filmography
- The Dark Wind (1991)
- SkinwalkersSkinwalkers (2002 film)Skinwalkers is a 2002 mystery television film based on the novel by Tony Hillerman, one of a series of mysteries set against contemporary Navajo life in the Southwest. It starred Adam Beach as Jim Chee and Wes Studi as Joe Leaphorn...
(2002) - Coyote Waits (2003)
- A Thief of Time (2004)
- Skinning the Night: American Mystery (DVD)
External links
- 1988 audio interview of Tony Hillerman at Wired for Books.org by Don SwaimDon SwaimDon Swaim is an American journalist and broadcaster.Born in Kansas, Swaim earned a degree in broadcast journalism from Ohio University and worked as editor, writer, producer, reporter and anchor at WCBS in New York and CBS in Baltimore....
- National Public Radio Tony Hillerman: A Pioneering Tribal Mystery Writer, by Lynn Neary, October 27, 2008.
- Unofficial homepage
- Obituary in Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
- Interview in Wild West magazine
- Inventory of the Tony Hillerman Papers, 1964–1996, University of New Mexico, University Libraries, Center for Southwest Research
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Hillerman, Tony