Poet Jim Harrison, 78, and author of the famed novel "Legends Of The Fall" has passed away. The book which was subsequently made into an award-winning film of the same name starred Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. Harrison passed away at his home in Arizona.
Well-known as a lover of the outdoors, much of his novels featured tales set agents the American frontier. According to a report by CNN, the author was residing at his residence in Patagonia at the time of his demise. Harrison is reported to have been in his study working on a poem.
"He left a great body of work that is going to live on," Morgan Entrekin, CEO of Grove Atlantic, the author's publisher told the American news channel. The cause of death is still to be determined the publisher said.
Harrison authored more than 40 books. Among his body of work include poems, novels and essays which tell of his love for cooking and food. The author did not find mainstream success until the latter part of his career. However, Harrison was considered a genius of novels and long short stories.
It is reported that Harrison spent much of his time in a rural cabin in Michigan. He has been compared by many according to the Guardian to Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway was a writer who emerged from the Midwest. It is reported that both Harrison and Hemingway through their lifestyles nurtured a love of adventure.
According to the British publication, Harrison's work in terms of novels dealt with complex human emotions. He incorporated themes of men coming to terms with their surrounding, especially those place in an untamed wilderness, witnessed by the author in the wilds of Montana where he grew up.
While Harrison was passionate about writing, his other interests included fishing, hunting, hiking and cooking. During his youth, he was mostly noted for spending time with friends such as novelist Thomas McGuane and actor Jack Nicholson.
As a disciplined writer, Harrison had two of his works published this year. Born in 1937 in Michigan, Harrison was blinded in one eye at the age of seven following an accident. After graduating from Michigan State University he taught English at Stony Brook in New York for a year before abandoning academia for writing.
In 1994, he wrote the screenplay for his novel "Legends Of The Fall." The story revolves around three brothers played by Pitt, Aidan Quinn and Henry Thomas who find themselves in love with the same woman. The film drew more than $100 million worldwide and helped Pitt to achieve success thereafter.
Harrison is survived by his two daughters, Anna Hjortsberg and Jamie Potenberg. Two siblings David Harrison and March Dumsch.
Watch an interview with Harrison below: