Jim Harrison, the man behind the story that catapulted Brad Pitt to Hollywood superstardom, has died from a still-unknown cause in his home in Patagonia, Arizona, on March 27. He was 78.
The sad news is confirmed by his publisher Grove Atlantic in its Twitter post on the same day.
"America lost one of its greatest writers and we at Grove lost a family member. Our thoughts are w/ the Harrison family. His work lives on," said the post. The company also paid tribute to the celebrated author and poet in its Instagram.
Born on December 11, 1937 in Grayling, Michigan, he had a full-time writing career that spanned for more than 30 years. He was an author, poet, reviewer and essayist who loved the outdoors and food, which was his subject in "The Raw and the Cooked" published in 2001.
He was also known for writing 40 books such as "Julip," "True North" and "Dalva" and for co-scripting movies like "Cold Feet" and "Carried Away."
But it was his 1979 novella "Legends of the Fall" that made him even more popular as it was later turned into a movie in 1994, where he also co-wrote the screenplay. Although the movie received mixed reviews, it received three Academy Awards nominations and bolstered Pitt's name due to his stellar performance.
When not writing, he's known to seek adventures like hiking, fishing and hunting. In his early days, there were reports of almost endless flirting, dating and drinking with beer buddies including Hollywood star Jack Nicholson, who is said to have loaned him the money needed to complete the novella.
Friends took to social media to express their sadness over the loss. "A giant. A Titan. A friend. RIP Jim Harrison. There will be no more like him. I am told he left with pen in hand," shared chef and host Anthony Bourdain, who appeared with Harrison in his "Without Reservations" Montana episode.
With his death, he left behind two children, Anna Hjortsberg and Jamie Potenberg, and three grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Mary, and brother, David. His wife, Linda, died on October 2, 2015, in Billings, Montana, after battling a rare respiratory illness.
