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{{Short description|American author (1938–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{infobox writer
⚫
'''Win Blevins''' (born October 21, 1938)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2699000022/blevins-winfred-1938.html |title=Blevins, Winfred 1938– - Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series |publisher=Encyclopedia.com |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref> is a New York Times Bestselling<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2016-03-20/e-book-nonfiction/list.html|title=Bestsellers: E-Book Nonfiction|website=The New York Times|date=March 20, 2016|accessdate=February 7, 2018}}</ref> American [[author]] of historical [[fiction]], narrative non-fiction, historical fantasy, and [[non-fiction]] books, as well as short stories, novellas, articles, reviews, and screenplays. He has written many books about the western mountain trappers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://muzzleloadermagazine.com/Book%20Reviews/2004/BookReview_SO04_A.htm |title=Book Review|website=Muzzleloader, The Publication for Traditional Black Powder Shooters|accessdate=July 25, 2012}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and is known for his "mastery of western lore."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7653-0577-0 |title=Fiction Book Review: A Long and Winding Road by Win Blevins|publisher=Publishersweekly.com |date=2007-09-03 |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref> His notable works include ''Stone Song'', ''So Wild a Dream'', and ''Dictionary of the American West''. According to WorldCat, the ''Dictionary of the American West'' is held in 728 libraries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldcat.org/title/dictionary-of-the-american-west/oclc/25316030&referer=brief_results |title=Dictionary of the American West (Book, 1992) |publisher=[WorldCat.org] |date=2012-03-11 |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref> Blevins has won numerous awards, including being named winner of the [[Owen Wister Award|Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement]] in writing literature of the West,<ref name="prnewswire.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/win-blevins-to-receive-2015-owen-wister-award-300021657.html|title=Win Blevins to Receive 2015 Owen Wister Award|website=[[Cision]]|date=Jan 16, 2015|accessdate=February 7, 2018}}</ref> being selected for the Western Writers Hall of Fame,<ref name="prnewswire.com"/> being twice named 'Writer of the Year' by [http://www.wordcraftcircle.org/ Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers],<ref name="ipl"/> and winning two [[Spur Award]]s for Novel of the West.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ascplpop.akronlibrary.org/favorite-fiction-booklists/westerns/spur-award-winning-westerns/ |title=Spur Award-Winning Westerns » Pop Culture@Ascpl |publisher=Ascplpop.akronlibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://westernwriters.org/spur-awards/#a1995 |title=Spur Awards « Western Writers of America |publisher=Westernwriters.org |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
|name=Winfred Blevins

[[File:Winblevins.gif|thumb|Win Blevins]]
|image=Winblevins.gif
|birth_date={{birth date|1938|10|21}}
|birth_place=[[Little Rock, Arkansas]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2023|7|2|1938|10|21}}
|pseudonym=Caleb Fox
|occupation=Author
|nationality=American
|alma_mater=[[Columbia University]]<br>[[University of Southern California]]
|genres={{flatlist|
*[[Fiction]]
*[[non-fiction]]
}}
|awards=[[Spur Award for Best Novel of the West]] (1995, 2004)<br>[[Owen Wister Award]] (2015)
}}
⚫
'''Winfred Blevins''' (October 21, 1938 – July 2, 2023) was an American author of fiction and non-fiction. He wrote many books about the western mountain trappers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://muzzleloadermagazine.com/Book%20Reviews/2004/BookReview_SO04_A.htm |title=Book Review|website=Muzzleloader, The Publication for Traditional Black Powder Shooters|access-date=July 25, 2012}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and is known for his "mastery of western lore."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7653-0577-0 |title=Fiction Book Review: A Long and Winding Road by Win Blevins|publisher=Publishersweekly.com |date=2007-09-03 |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref> His notable works include ''Stone Song'', ''So Wild a Dream'', and ''Dictionary of the American West''. According to WorldCat, the ''Dictionary of the American West'' is held in 728 libraries.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dictionary of the American West (Book, 1992) |publisher=[WorldCat.org] |date=2012-03-11 |oclc = 25316030}}</ref> Blevins won numerous awards, including being named winner of the [[Owen Wister Award|Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement]] in writing literature of the West,<ref name="prnewswire.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/win-blevins-to-receive-2015-owen-wister-award-300021657.html|title=Win Blevins to Receive 2015 Owen Wister Award|website=[[Cision]]|date=Jan 16, 2015|access-date=February 7, 2018}}</ref> being selected for the Western Writers Hall of Fame,<ref name="prnewswire.com"/> being twice named 'Writer of the Year' by [http://www.wordcraftcircle.org/ Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers],<ref name="ipl"/> and winning two [[Spur Award]]s for Novel of the West.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ascplpop.akronlibrary.org/favorite-fiction-booklists/westerns/spur-award-winning-westerns/ |title=Spur Award-Winning Westerns » Pop Culture@Ascpl |publisher=Ascplpop.akronlibrary.org |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://westernwriters.org/spur-awards/#a1995 |title=Spur Awards « Western Writers of America |publisher=Westernwriters.org |date= May 12, 2012|access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Blevins, of [[Cherokee]], Welsh-Irish, and African-American descent, is a native of [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]. After attending school in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], he moved to New York, where he received a master's degree from [[Columbia University]], graduating with honors, and continued to California, where he was graduated from the Music Conservatory of the [[University of Southern California]].<ref name="ipl">{{cite web|url=http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A753 |title=Win Blevins on Native American Authors |publisher=Ipl.org |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
Blevins, of [[Cherokee]], Welsh-Irish, and African-American descent, was a native of [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]. He was born on October 21, 1938.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2699000022/blevins-winfred-1938.html |title=Blevins, Winfred 1938– - Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series |publisher=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref> After attending school in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] and receiving a scholarship, he moved to New York, where he received a master's degree from [[Columbia University]], graduating with honors, and continued to California, where he received a foundation grant and was graduated from the Music Conservatory of the [[University of Southern California]].<ref name="ipl">{{cite web|url=http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A753 |title=Win Blevins on Native American Authors |publisher=Ipl.org |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>

⚫
==Journalism and writing career==
⚫
Win Blevins started his writing career as a music and drama reviewer for the Los Angeles Times. He then became the entertainment editor and principal theater and movie critic of the [[Los Angeles Herald-Examiner|Hearst]] newspaper in Los Angeles, the Herald Examiner.<ref>"Blevins, Win 1938–." Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series. Ed. Amy Elisabeth Fuller. Vol. 188. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 59-61. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. June 29, 2012.</ref> His first book was published in 1973 and since then he has made a living as a free-lance writer. He has written articles for magazines,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.designbuildbluff.org/sites/default/files/files/about/media_2011_native_peoples_201111.pdf |title=Native Peoples |publisher=Designbuildbluff.org |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohioswallow.com/book/Frank+Waters |title=Frank Waters: Man and Mystic - Ohio University Press & Swallow Press |publisher=Ohioswallow.com |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref> essays,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/publisher-26798-through-poetry.html |title=Hot Off The Press |publisher=Gazette.com |date=2007-09-02 |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref> published forty books, one a dictionary, several travel guides to the West, and the rest novels, including fantasy, historical fiction and modern works of the West such as his friends and contemporaries [[Rudolfo Anaya]], [[John Nichols (writer)|John Nichols]], [[Scott Momaday]], and Max Evans wrote. For fifteen years he was an editor at [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan Publishing]]. From 2010 to 2012, Win spent two years as [[Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication|Gaylord Family Visitor Professor of Professional Writing]] at the University of Oklahoma.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ou.edu/content/gaylord/home/main/faculty_staff/WinBlevins.html |title=Win Blevins - left Navigation - the University of Oklahoma |access-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528184822/http://www.ou.edu/content/gaylord/home/main/faculty_staff/WinBlevins.html |archive-date=May 28, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


⚫
==Journalism and Writing Career==
⚫
Win Blevins started his writing career as a music and drama reviewer for the Los Angeles Times. He then became the entertainment editor and principal theater and movie critic of the [[Los Angeles Herald-Examiner|Hearst]] newspaper in Los Angeles, the Herald Examiner.<ref>"Blevins, Win 1938–." Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series. Ed. Amy Elisabeth Fuller. Vol. 188. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 59-61. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. June 29, 2012.</ref> His first book was published in 1973 and since then he has made a living as a free-lance writer. He has written articles for magazines,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.designbuildbluff.org/sites/default/files/files/about/media_2011_native_peoples_201111.pdf |title=Native Peoples |publisher=Designbuildbluff.org |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohioswallow.com/book/Frank+Waters |title=Frank Waters: Man and Mystic - Ohio University Press & Swallow Press |publisher=Ohioswallow.com |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref> essays,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/publisher-26798-through-poetry.html |title=Hot Off The Press |publisher=Gazette.com |date=2007-09-02 |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref> published forty books, one a dictionary, several travel guides to the West, and the rest novels, including fantasy, historical fiction and modern works of the West such as his contemporaries [[Rudolfo Anaya]], [[John Nichols (writer)|John Nichols]], [[Scott Momaday]], Max Evans and [[Barbara Kingsolver]] write. For fifteen years he was an editor at [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan Publishing]]. From 2010 - 2012, Win spent two years as [[Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication|Gaylord Family Visitor Professor of Professional Writing]] at the University of Oklahoma.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ou.edu/content/gaylord/home/main/faculty_staff/WinBlevins.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528184822/http://www.ou.edu/content/gaylord/home/main/faculty_staff/WinBlevins.html |archive-date=May 28, 2012 |dead-url=yes }}</ref>
==Screenplays==
==Screenplays==
He has also written thirteen screenplays, including Atlas Shrugged for [[Al Ruddy]]; several for Paramount Pictures; The King of Paris with [[Dale Wasserman]] for CBS; The Real Dracula with Dale Wasserman (for Telly Savalas), CBS; Spring in Czechoslovakia for [[David Picker]]; John Milius's A-Team; Oonadaga for NBC; The Last Free Man for [[Fred Read]], and six others. (In 1974 David Picker announced he would produce Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail directed by [[John Milius]] and written by Winfred Blevins, about [[Theodore Roosevelt]].<ref>"Warner's to Distribute Films of David Picker". Los Angeles Times. 21 Nov 1974. p. h23.</ref>)
Blevins also wrote thirteen screenplays, including Atlas Shrugged for [[Al Ruddy]]; several for Paramount Pictures; The King of Paris with [[Dale Wasserman]] for CBS; The Real Dracula with Dale Wasserman (for Telly Savalas), CBS; Spring in Czechoslovakia for [[David Picker]]; John Milius's A-Team; Oonadaga for NBC; The Last Free Man for [[Fred Read]], and six others. (In 1974 David Picker announced he would produce Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail directed by [[John Milius]] and written by Winfred Blevins, about [[Theodore Roosevelt]].<ref>"Warner's to Distribute Films of David Picker". Los Angeles Times. 21 Nov 1974. p. h23.</ref>)


==Books==
==Books==
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* ''Dictionary of the American West'', 1993, Facts on File.
* ''Dictionary of the American West'', 1993, Facts on File.
* ''History from the Highways'': Wyoming, with Thomas Schmidt, 1993, Pruett Press. Guide Book.
* ''History from the Highways'': Wyoming, with Thomas Schmidt, 1993, Pruett Press. Guide Book.
* ''Stone Song: A Novel of the Life of Crazy Horse'', TOR-Forge Books, 1995. Historical fiction. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 774 libraries<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldcat.org/title/stone-song-a-novel-of-the-life-of-crazy-horse/oclc/32051142&referer=brief_results |title=Stone song : a novel of the life of Crazy Horse (Book, 1995) |publisher=[WorldCat.org] |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* ''Stone Song: A Novel of the Life of Crazy Horse'', TOR-Forge Books, 1995. Historical fiction. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 774 libraries<ref>{{cite book|title=Stone song : a novel of the life of Crazy Horse (Book, 1995) |publisher=[WorldCat.org] |oclc = 32051142}}</ref>
* ''The Rock Child'', TOR-Forge Books, 1998. Historical fiction.
* ''The Rock Child'', TOR-Forge Books, 1998. Historical fiction.
* ''RavenShadow'', TOR-Forge Books, 1999. Historical fantasy.
* ''RavenShadow'', TOR-Forge Books, 1999. Historical fantasy.
* ''Dictionary of the American West'', expanded edition, Sasquatch Books, 2001. Expanded to include the Pacific Northwest, especially Alaska.
* ''Dictionary of the American West'', expanded edition, Sasquatch Books, 2001. Expanded to include the Pacific Northwest, especially Alaska.
* [http://www.worldcat.org/title/moonlight-water/oclc/879582555&referer=brief_results ''Moonlight Water''], written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2015.
* [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/879582555 ''Moonlight Water''], written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2015.
* ''The Darkness Rolling'', written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2015.
* ''The Darkness Rolling'', written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2015.
* ''Stealing Fire'', written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2016
* ''Stealing Fire'', written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2016
* ''Going Home'', written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, WordWorx Publishing, 2017
* ''Going Home'', written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, WordWorx Publishing, 2017
* ''Jedediah Smith: The Story of a Wayfaring Heart'', Wordworx Publishing, 2020
* ''Learning to Soar: Memoir of a Spiritual Awakening,'' Wordworx Publishing, 2020


===The Rendezvous Series===
===The Rendezvous Series===
* ''So Wild a Dream'', TOR-Forge Books, 2003. Historical fiction. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 1094 libraries, his most widely held book.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/052208376 |title=So wild a dream (Book, 2003) |publisher=[WorldCat.org] |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* ''So Wild a Dream'', TOR-Forge Books, 2003. Historical fiction. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 1094 libraries, his most widely held book.<ref>{{cite book|title=So wild a dream (Book, 2003) |publisher=[WorldCat.org] |oclc = 052208376}}</ref>
* ''Beauty for Ashes'', TOR-Forge Books, 2004. Historical fiction.
* ''Beauty for Ashes'', TOR-Forge Books, 2004. Historical fiction.
* ''Dancing with the Golden Bear'', TOR-Forge, 2005. Historical fiction.
* ''Dancing with the Golden Bear'', TOR-Forge, 2005. Historical fiction.
Line 41: Line 59:
* ''Dreams Beneath Your Feet'', TOR-Forge Books, 2008. Historical fiction.
* ''Dreams Beneath Your Feet'', TOR-Forge Books, 2008. Historical fiction.


===Natural History===
===Natural history===
* ''Buffalo, Rio Nuevo'', 2005 (Looks West series). Natural history.
* ''Buffalo, Rio Nuevo'', 2005 (Looks West series). Natural history.


===Cherokee Pre-History Fantasy===
===Cherokee pre-History fantasy===
* ''Zadayi Red'', TOR-Forge Books, 2009, published under the pen name Caleb Fox. Historical fantasy. Reissued as 'The Promised One' by Meredith & Win Blevins
* ''Zadayi Red'', TOR-Forge Books, 2009, published under the pen name Caleb Fox. Historical fantasy. Reissued as 'The Promised One' by Meredith & Win Blevins
* ''Shadows in the Cave'', TOR-Forge Books, 2010, TOR-Forge Books, published under the pen name Caleb Fox. Historical fantasy. Reissued with authors Meredith & Win Blevins
* ''Shadows in the Cave'', TOR-Forge Books, 2010, TOR-Forge Books, published under the pen name Caleb Fox. Historical fantasy. Reissued with authors Meredith & Win Blevins


===Yazzie Goldman Thrillers===
===Yazzie Goldman thrillers===
* ''Stealing Fire'', TOR-Forge, 2016
* ''Stealing Fire'', TOR-Forge, 2016
* ''The Darkness Rolling'', TOR-Forge, 2015
* ''The Darkness Rolling'', TOR-Forge, 2015


==As General Editor==
==As general editor==
Blevins also created, edited, and co-published the series ''Classics of the Fur Trade''.
Blevins also created, edited, and co-published the series ''Classics of the Fur Trade''.
* ''The River of the West: The Adventures of Joe Meek, volume one—The Mountain Years'', by Frances Fuller Victor, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1983. Autobiography.
* ''The River of the West: The Adventures of Joe Meek, volume one—The Mountain Years'', by Frances Fuller Victor, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1983. Autobiography.
Line 64: Line 82:
* Owen Wister Award, 2015, for lifetime achievement in writing literature of the West.<ref name="prnewswire.com"/>
* Owen Wister Award, 2015, for lifetime achievement in writing literature of the West.<ref name="prnewswire.com"/>
* Selection to the Western Writers Hall of Fame, displayed in the Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody,Wyoming, 2015.<ref name="prnewswire.com"/>
* Selection to the Western Writers Hall of Fame, displayed in the Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody,Wyoming, 2015.<ref name="prnewswire.com"/>
* So Wild a Dream- Spur award, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://westernwriters.org/spur-awards/#a2004 |title=Spur Awards « Western Writers of America |publisher=Westernwriters.org |date= |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* So Wild a Dream- Spur award, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://westernwriters.org/spur-awards/#a2004 |title=Spur Awards « Western Writers of America |publisher=Westernwriters.org |date= May 12, 2012|access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* Stone Song –Spur Award, Mountains and Plains Booksellers award for best fiction of 1995.<ref name="ipl" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.selectpeaks.com/images/awards.pdf |title=Regional Book Award Winners |publisher=Selectpeaks.com |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* Stone Song –Spur Award, Mountains and Plains Booksellers award for best fiction of 1995.<ref name="ipl" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.selectpeaks.com/images/awards.pdf |title=Regional Book Award Winners |publisher=Selectpeaks.com |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* Dictionary of the American West – Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers (Writer of the Year) 2002.<ref name="ipl" />
* Dictionary of the American West – Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers (Writer of the Year) 2002.<ref name="ipl" />
* Heaven Is a Long Way Off - Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers (Writer of the Year) 2006-2007.<ref name="ipl" />
* Heaven Is a Long Way Off - Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers (Writer of the Year) 2006-2007.<ref name="ipl" />


==Pseudonyms==
==Pseudonyms==
Win has published two novels and an article in True West Magazine<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/true-westerners/true-westerners/what-history-taught-me/2921-caleb-fox-author |title=Caleb Fox, Author |publisher=Truewestmagazine.com |date=2009-11-03 |accessdate=2013-11-25}}</ref> under the pen name, Caleb Fox.
Win published two novels and an article in True West Magazine<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/true-westerners/true-westerners/what-history-taught-me/2921-caleb-fox-author |title=Caleb Fox, Author |publisher=Truewestmagazine.com |date=2009-11-03 |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref> under the pen name, Caleb Fox.

==Personal life==

Blevins has five children and a growing number of grandchildren. He lives with his wife, the novelist Meredith Blevins, among the Navajos in [[San Juan County, Utah]]. Win has been a river runner and has climbed mountains on three continents. His greatest loves are his family, music, and the untamed places of the West. He considers writing for a living to be a great blessing.


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Blevins, Winfred}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blevins, Winfred}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]

Latest revision as of 21:33, 29 January 2024

Winfred Blevins
Born(1938-10-21)October 21, 1938
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
DiedJuly 2, 2023(2023-07-02) (aged 84)
Pen nameCaleb Fox
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
Alma materColumbia University
University of Southern California
Genres
Notable awardsSpur Award for Best Novel of the West (1995, 2004)
Owen Wister Award (2015)

Winfred Blevins (October 21, 1938 – July 2, 2023) was an American author of fiction and non-fiction. He wrote many books about the western mountain trappers,[1] and is known for his "mastery of western lore."[2] His notable works include Stone Song, So Wild a Dream, and Dictionary of the American West. According to WorldCat, the Dictionary of the American West is held in 728 libraries.[3] Blevins won numerous awards, including being named winner of the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement in writing literature of the West,[4] being selected for the Western Writers Hall of Fame,[4] being twice named 'Writer of the Year' by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers,[5] and winning two Spur Awards for Novel of the West.[6][7]

Early life and education[edit]

Blevins, of Cherokee, Welsh-Irish, and African-American descent, was a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was born on October 21, 1938.[8] After attending school in St. Louis, Missouri and receiving a scholarship, he moved to New York, where he received a master's degree from Columbia University, graduating with honors, and continued to California, where he received a foundation grant and was graduated from the Music Conservatory of the University of Southern California.[5]

Journalism and writing career[edit]

Win Blevins started his writing career as a music and drama reviewer for the Los Angeles Times. He then became the entertainment editor and principal theater and movie critic of the Hearst newspaper in Los Angeles, the Herald Examiner.[9] His first book was published in 1973 and since then he has made a living as a free-lance writer. He has written articles for magazines,[10][11] essays,[12] published forty books, one a dictionary, several travel guides to the West, and the rest novels, including fantasy, historical fiction and modern works of the West such as his friends and contemporaries Rudolfo Anaya, John Nichols, Scott Momaday, and Max Evans wrote. For fifteen years he was an editor at Macmillan Publishing. From 2010 to 2012, Win spent two years as Gaylord Family Visitor Professor of Professional Writing at the University of Oklahoma.[13]

Screenplays[edit]

Blevins also wrote thirteen screenplays, including Atlas Shrugged for Al Ruddy; several for Paramount Pictures; The King of Paris with Dale Wasserman for CBS; The Real Dracula with Dale Wasserman (for Telly Savalas), CBS; Spring in Czechoslovakia for David Picker; John Milius's A-Team; Oonadaga for NBC; The Last Free Man for Fred Read, and six others. (In 1974 David Picker announced he would produce Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail directed by John Milius and written by Winfred Blevins, about Theodore Roosevelt.[14])

Books[edit]

Most of Win Blevins' books were originally published as hardbacks, and were subsequently made available as mass-market paperbacks, trade paperbacks, book club editions, foreign editions, audio books, and e-books. Almost all are still in print.

  • Give Your Heart to the Hawks, Nash Publishing, 1973. Narrative non-fiction.
  • Charbonneau: Man of Two Dreams, Nash Publishing, 1975. Historical fiction.
  • The Misadventures of Silk and Shakespeare, Jameson Books, 1985. Historical fiction.
  • The Yellowstone, Bantam, 1988 (Rivers West series), Bantam Books. Historical fiction.
  • Roadside History of Yellowstone Park, 1989, Mountain Press Publishing Company. Guide Book.
  • Powder River, Bantam, 1990 (Rivers West series). Historical fiction.
  • The Snake River, Bantam, 1992 (Rivers West series). Historical fiction.
  • The High Missouri, Bantam, 1994 (River West series). Historical fiction.
  • Dictionary of the American West, 1993, Facts on File.
  • History from the Highways: Wyoming, with Thomas Schmidt, 1993, Pruett Press. Guide Book.
  • Stone Song: A Novel of the Life of Crazy Horse, TOR-Forge Books, 1995. Historical fiction. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 774 libraries[15]
  • The Rock Child, TOR-Forge Books, 1998. Historical fiction.
  • RavenShadow, TOR-Forge Books, 1999. Historical fantasy.
  • Dictionary of the American West, expanded edition, Sasquatch Books, 2001. Expanded to include the Pacific Northwest, especially Alaska.
  • Moonlight Water, written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2015.
  • The Darkness Rolling, written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2015.
  • Stealing Fire, written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, TOR-Forge Books, 2016
  • Going Home, written by Win Blevins and Meredith Blevins, WordWorx Publishing, 2017
  • Jedediah Smith: The Story of a Wayfaring Heart, Wordworx Publishing, 2020
  • Learning to Soar: Memoir of a Spiritual Awakening, Wordworx Publishing, 2020

The Rendezvous Series[edit]

  • So Wild a Dream, TOR-Forge Books, 2003. Historical fiction. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 1094 libraries, his most widely held book.[16]
  • Beauty for Ashes, TOR-Forge Books, 2004. Historical fiction.
  • Dancing with the Golden Bear, TOR-Forge, 2005. Historical fiction.
  • Heaven Is a Long Way Off, TOR-Forge Books, 2006. Historical fiction.
  • A Long and Winding Road, TOR-Forge Books, 2007. Historical fiction.
  • Dreams Beneath Your Feet, TOR-Forge Books, 2008. Historical fiction.

Natural history[edit]

  • Buffalo, Rio Nuevo, 2005 (Looks West series). Natural history.

Cherokee pre-History fantasy[edit]

  • Zadayi Red, TOR-Forge Books, 2009, published under the pen name Caleb Fox. Historical fantasy. Reissued as 'The Promised One' by Meredith & Win Blevins
  • Shadows in the Cave, TOR-Forge Books, 2010, TOR-Forge Books, published under the pen name Caleb Fox. Historical fantasy. Reissued with authors Meredith & Win Blevins

Yazzie Goldman thrillers[edit]

  • Stealing Fire, TOR-Forge, 2016
  • The Darkness Rolling, TOR-Forge, 2015

As general editor[edit]

Blevins also created, edited, and co-published the series Classics of the Fur Trade.

  • The River of the West: The Adventures of Joe Meek, volume one—The Mountain Years, by Frances Fuller Victor, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1983. Autobiography.
  • Journal of a Mountain Man, by James Clyman, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1984. Journal.
  • The River of the West: The Adventures of Joe Meek, volume two—The Oregon Years, by Frances Fuller Victor, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1985. Autobiography.
  • Edward Warren, by Sir William Drummond Stewart, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1986. Fiction.
  • The Personal Narrative of James O. Pattie, by James Ohio Pattie, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1988. Memoir.
  • The Long Rifle, by Steward Edward White, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1990. Historical fiction.

Awards[edit]

  • Owen Wister Award, 2015, for lifetime achievement in writing literature of the West.[4]
  • Selection to the Western Writers Hall of Fame, displayed in the Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody,Wyoming, 2015.[4]
  • So Wild a Dream- Spur award, 2004.[17]
  • Stone Song –Spur Award, Mountains and Plains Booksellers award for best fiction of 1995.[5][18]
  • Dictionary of the American West – Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers (Writer of the Year) 2002.[5]
  • Heaven Is a Long Way Off - Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers (Writer of the Year) 2006-2007.[5]

Pseudonyms[edit]

Win published two novels and an article in True West Magazine[19] under the pen name, Caleb Fox.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Book Review". Muzzleloader, The Publication for Traditional Black Powder Shooters. Retrieved July 25, 2012.[dead link]
  2. ^ "Fiction Book Review: A Long and Winding Road by Win Blevins". Publishersweekly.com. September 3, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  3. ^ Dictionary of the American West (Book, 1992). [WorldCat.org]. March 11, 2012. OCLC 25316030.
  4. ^ a b c d "Win Blevins to Receive 2015 Owen Wister Award". Cision. January 16, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Win Blevins on Native American Authors". Ipl.org. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  6. ^ "Spur Award-Winning Westerns » Pop Culture@Ascpl". Ascplpop.akronlibrary.org. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  7. ^ "Spur Awards « Western Writers of America". Westernwriters.org. May 12, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  8. ^ "Blevins, Winfred 1938– - Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  9. ^ "Blevins, Win 1938–." Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series. Ed. Amy Elisabeth Fuller. Vol. 188. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 59-61. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. June 29, 2012.
  10. ^ "Native Peoples" (PDF). Designbuildbluff.org. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  11. ^ "Frank Waters: Man and Mystic - Ohio University Press & Swallow Press". Ohioswallow.com. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  12. ^ "Hot Off The Press". Gazette.com. September 2, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  13. ^ "Win Blevins - left Navigation - the University of Oklahoma". Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  14. ^ "Warner's to Distribute Films of David Picker". Los Angeles Times. 21 Nov 1974. p. h23.
  15. ^ Stone song : a novel of the life of Crazy Horse (Book, 1995). [WorldCat.org]. OCLC 32051142.
  16. ^ So wild a dream (Book, 2003). [WorldCat.org]. OCLC 052208376.
  17. ^ "Spur Awards « Western Writers of America". Westernwriters.org. May 12, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  18. ^ "Regional Book Award Winners" (PDF). Selectpeaks.com. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  19. ^ "Caleb Fox, Author". Truewestmagazine.com. November 3, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
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