Episode 74: Tom McGuane - King of Words

Tom McGuane is a giant among legends across all continents and
countries. His boundless heart and endless determination tackled
dreams only he could’ve accomplished. Tom’s extraordinary writing
is in the record books and for the rest of time he’ll be remember
as one of the greats. His literary spectrum includes ten novels,
five screen plays, and countless short stories. His work has
received a page full of awards culminating with his induction into
The American Academy of Arts and Letters. But then there’s the
fishing, the hunting, and the HORSES; cutting horses. Tom McGuane
is a savant of many talents! Although he was born in Michigan, his
heart ventured west. As a young man he worked on a ranch in Wyoming
where he first got his boots dirty. After the success of his book
and movie “Sporting Club," he bought a ranch in Montana and
property in Key West. His life on a horse became extremely
important to him and he became a great “cutter” often beating the
best in the world and eventually was inducted into The Cutting
Horse Hall of Fame. But it was in Key West where Tom McGuane caught
fire. It was there, when his writing was young and his aspirations
were as vibrant as the blistering sun. Literature, fishing, and
adventures after dark took on a life of its own. It was there,
where of a handful of friends, all writers too, became a
brotherhood that challenged life’s offering to its fullest. Jim
Harrison, Russell Chatham, Guy De La Valdene, Jimmy Buffett, Hunter
S.Thompson, and Kurt Brautigan did what the rest of the world
wished they could do. They had more fun than the law allowed and
were brilliant with everything they touched. Each would become
extremely successful and famous. But as much as anything else, they
loved to fish. What most the fishing world doesn’t know is that
these guys put Tarpon fishing on the map. And they made a movie
about it called, "Tarpon." This production showed what a
magnificent, beautiful, ageless fish it is. It loves to eat flies,
it’s big and jumps majestically.... It's the most perfect fly rod
fish one could ever have the privilege to catch. As much as Tom
McGuane has accomplished, his greatest success is having Laurie
Buffett as his wife and their daughter Annie. And fathering two
other children, Thomas and Maggie with former wives, Rebecca
Crocket and Margot Kidder.