Born: 1945
Ohio connection: Birth
Mt. Gilead
Son of the late conservationist and author Merrill C. Gilfillan, Merrill Daniel Gilfillan was born in 1945 in rural Ohio, along the borders of the Appalachian Mountains. Growing up in that region greatly affected his writing which often included descriptions of the landscape.
Following his graduation from the University of Michigan in 1967, Gilfillan attended the Writers Workshop at the University of Iowa from which he earned an M.F.A. degree in 1969. He would then move to New York City, later moving to Colorado in the late 1970s. Most of his career has been devoted to his writing, including some time he spent working as a feature writer for Denver and Boulder newspapers during his early years in Colorado. His published writing consists primarily of poetry and essays. One of his most significant books is Magpie Rising: Sketches from the Great Plains, a book of essays which appeared in 1988. It earned solid critical acclaim, as well as the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the best first-published memoir by an author. Gilfillan’s collection of stories entitled Sworn Before Cranes: Stories is set in the northern Great Plains, dealing primarily with the daily lives of Native Americans. “The landscape plays an important role in evoking mood and in propelling the characters toward whatever destiny the story holds.” (Publishers Weekly). In Chokecherry Places: Essays from the High Plains, Native American culture and animals common to the region take prominent places. Another fiction title, Grasshopper Falls, tells the story of the history of the Great Plains region and explores Native American lore and culture. Most of Gilfillan’s writings show his fascination with the region’s landscape. Some of his poetic works include Light Years: Selected Early Works; River Through Rivertown; Satin Street: Poems; The Seasons; Rivers and Birds; and Red Mavis. His poetic works describe the back roads of Appalachia and the western grasslands of the Great Plains, effectively expressing his love for these American treasures. Merrill Gilfillan lives and works in Boulder, Colorado.
Selected Awards
1967, Major Hopwood Award for poetry, University of Michigan; 1989, PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction for Magpie Rising; 1998, Western States Book Award for Creative Nonfiction for Chokecherry Places