The Montana Land Reliance (MLR) proudly announces the publication of A Million Acres: Montana Writers Reflect on Land and Open Space, a literary anthology with essays and stories from twenty of the state’s finest contemporary writers. Contributors will join a six-city, statewide tour in early November.
Edited by Keir Graff and featuring 28 breathtaking photographs from Alexis Bonogofsky (both are native Montanans), the full-color, elegantly designed book was produced in partnership with Helena’s Riverbend Publishing. Contributors include Rick Bass, Maile Meloy, Joe Wilkins, Carrie La Seur, Jim Robbins, Gwen Florio, Sterling HolyWhiteMountain, Christine Carbo, Maxim Loskutoff, Jamie Harrison and James Grady, among others.
“I asked our contributors to explore the great outdoors, and they responded with a wonderfully diverse range of material,” says Graff. “In writing about hunting, fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, rafting, ranching, and even road trips, they explore the way we are all shaped by land and open space. There is joy and even humor in this book, but also heartbreak, because to love something wholeheartedly means to fear for its survival.”
“We commissioned the book to celebrate a recent milestone: one million acres protected by conservation easements,” says Kendall van Dyk, Montana Land Reliance Managing Director. “Montana has rich traditions of agricultural stewardship, outdoor recreation, and literary excellence, and they come together here as these authors explore feelings we’ve all experienced.”
Lovers of Montana landscapes and fans of fine writing are invited to join the authors at live events across the state, or to simply pick up a copy of the book themselves and see what makes the Last Best Place worth preserving.
Downtown Bozeman’s Country Bookshelf will host a tour stop on Sunday, November 10th. The afternoon will feature Million Acres contributing authors Alexis Bonogofsky, Christine Carbo, Gwen Florio, Jamie Harrison, Allen Morris Jones and Russell Rowland. The event begins at 2pm and is open to the public.
Other Montana cities playing host to the book release tour include Whitefish, Missoula, Helena, Great Falls and Billings. Additional details may be found by visiting www.riverbendpublishing.com. •