The Real West Marginal Way: A Poet's Autobiography

Richard Hugo was born on December 21, 1923 in Seattle, Wash. He attended the University of Washington in Seattle and served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. His flight experience led to his employment with Boeing from 1951 until 1963. In 1964, he left Boeing for a teaching position at the University of Montana at Missoula. Hugo was a noted author of poetry collections including A Run of Jacks, Good Luck in Cracked Italian, and The Lady in Kicking Horse Reservoir. His detailed descriptions of fishing, the landscape, and small town life are lovingly captured in his charming poems and generally reflect life in the Pacific Northwest. Full of whimsy and a delight to the reader, his poems capture the essence of regional America and everyday existence. Richard Hugo died in 1982. At the time of his death in 2003, James Welch was considered one of the most important authors of the American West. His books include Fool’s Crow and Winter in the Blood.