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Tony Hillerman

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 5 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #2649 in Arts , #57693 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

 

Where do you find detective novels, Navajo culture, Skinwalkers, Hopi culture, New Mexico landscape beauty, humor and great reading in one place?

In a Tony Hillerman novel. 

Tony Hillerman is my favorite author. I always look forward to his next book.

I love the way he writes. As he tells his story, he describes everything in such great detail that I feel like I know the places and the people.

Why does Tony Hillerman write about the Navajo? 

From a PBS Interview

Author Tony Hillerman recently spoke to MYSTERY! about his interest in the Navajo, his writing career, and his thoughts about Skinwalkers the film.

How did you get started writing mysteries?

I was on a convalescent furlough after World War II and got a job driving a truckload of oil field equipment from Oklahoma City to an old oil well on the Checkerboard Reservation... I was driving across the country near Crown Point where I encountered a group of Navajos... After I unloaded the stuff, I asked a rancher what was going on. He told me a couple of the Navajo Marines were back from the Pacific, and they were having a curing ceremony for them. Would they mind if I went? They said "No, if you stay sober and behave yourself." I was tremendously impressed by it. I thought that's a great way to welcome your men back from the war. I never forgot. That was 1945.

When I decided I wanted to be a novelist, I had been a newspaperman for years. I didn't know whether I could develop a plot; I didn't know if I could develop a character. I knew I could describe. I thought, I'll set it on a Navajo reservation so I'll have a good background. If they don't like the story, they can look at the state setting, you know? That's how I got started. The more I knew about [the Navajo], the better I liked them.

Read the article Click HERE

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Links 

Tony Hillerman
You've supported the Leaphorn/Chee series over its long history, and I wanted to write you a behind-the-scenes note by way of thanks. I thought you might like to know th...
The Unofficial Tony Hillerman Homepage
Welcome to Hillerman country!(The Unofficial Tony Hillerman Homepage) Map, Photos, Biography, Address, Awards, Books, Criticism, Profiles, and Interviews, Links.
Hillerman-Interview | PBS
Mystery! American Mystery! Specials . Navajoland
Mystery! American Mystery! Specials . Navajoland .
Resources | PBS More information about the topics covered on this site, including Tony Hillerman, the Southwest and the Navajo.

Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn 

Author Tony Hillerman recently spoke to MYSTERY! about his interest in the Navajo and his thoughts about Skinwalkers the film.

How did you come up with your main characters, Chee and Leaphorn?

Believe it or not, Joe Leaphorn was based on a Hutchinson County Texas sheriff that I met when I was a greenhorn police reporter in the Texas panhandle. I was very much impressed by this guy. He was smart, and he was humane. He knew where the law began and where common sense ended. I needed a Navajo policeman as a minor character in the first book I wrote. I intended him to be somebody that my main character would get information from, so I used this Texas sheriff, gave him a Navajo accent, and made him knowledgeable about Navajo ways, as much as I knew about them then. When I had to rewrite the book to get it published, I had kind of fallen in love with the guy, and I beefed up his role. Chee came along because I needed a young guy that wasn't as well educated and sophisticated as Leaphorn was. I had been teaching at the University of New Mexico, and I sort of melded together about 14 different young fellows and made Chee out of them.

Skinwalkers PBS Video 

Three murders have stumped Officer Chee (Adam Beach) and Lieutenant Leaphorn (Wes Studi) two cops on separate reservations in Utah. While the crimes appear to be random there is also suspicion that "S Dubs" or skinwalkers are involved. These skinwalkers are a Native American legend concerning the spirits of the dead seeking revenge on the living. Chee and Leaphorn work together to find that these crimes lead to one suspect. This special edition of the PBS series MYSTERY! was directed by Chris Eyre (SMOKE SIGNALS) and contains many of the themes in Eyre's sophomore effort SKINS.

Skinwalkers on NPR 

Click on the following links to listen to past NPR Programs about Toni Hillerman.
Skin Walkers
All Things Considered, November 22, 2002 · The first American work in the 22-year history of Mystery!" series is an adaptation of Tony Hillerman's "Skinwalkers." "Skinwalkers" is one of 13 Hillerman mysteries featuring Native American detectives Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police. Laura Sydell has a report.

Tony Hillerman Jim Chee Series 

Skeleton Man

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Shape Shifter

Amazon Price: $17.79 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Sinister Pig

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Wailing Wind

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Coyote Waits

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/11/2008)

Hunting Badger (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Dark Wind (Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Ghostway

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

People of Darkness (Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

The First Eagle (Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

A Thief of Time (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Talking God (Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Sacred Clowns (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Skinwalkers (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Coyote Waits (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Tony Hillerman Joe Leaphorn Series 

Listening Woman (Joe Leaphorn Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Blessing Way (Joe Leaphorn Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Fallen Man (Joe Leaphorn Novels)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Tony Hillerman Boxed Gift Set: The Fallen Man, The First Eagle

Amazon Price: $29.04 (as of 10/11/2008)

Hillerman Films 

An Amazon review writes:
Overall, I rate "A Thief of Time" between the awful "Skinwalkers" and the rather better, more coherent, "Coyote Waits".

The Dark Wind

The Dark Wind

Filmed on location, The Dark Wind brings to life t more...0 points

Mystery! Coyote Waits

Mystery! Coyote Waits

Two tribal cops uncover a plot involving a lost fo more...0 points

Tony HIllerman Audio 

Dance Hall of the Dead CD Low Price

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 10/11/2008)

Seldom Disappointed CD

Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 10/11/2008)

More Books by Tony Hillerman 

Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 10/11/2008)

Tony Hillerman's Indian Country Map & Guide, second edition

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Navajoland: A Native Son Shares his Legacy (Special Scenic Collection)

Amazon Price: $11.01 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Boy Who Made Dragonfly: A Zuni Myth

Amazon Price: $10.75 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Serpent's Tongue: Prose, Poetry, and Art of the New Mexican Pueblos

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Indian Country: America's Sacred Land

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Talking Mysteries: A Conversation With Tony Hillerman

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Sacred ground

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Talk about Tony Hillerman 

What have I been reading? Hillerman, for one. My local library numbers an author's books in the order in which they were published. I started with 1 and got to 16. I can whip through a Hillerman in 2-3 days. Light reading, interesting locations, and the Navajo culture, which is quickly fading away, is/was fascinating. The main thing that bugs me about Hillerman's work is the way he handles the love interests in his main characters' lives. One character is completely wrapped up in a string of women who are wrong for him. The other character can't get past the memory of his dead wife. I feel like slapping each of them on the side of the head.
~~Maria Langer
The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman (pb) - 0.65 USD
This auction is for a paperback book titled - The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman, 1982 1st Harper paper...
Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman (pb) Large Print - 1.00 USD
This auction is for a paperback book titled - The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman, c2006, First Harp...
Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman (hc) - 1.25 USD
This auction is for a hardcover book titled - Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman, c2000. I believe tha...

What's your favorite Hillerman book or character? 

Post your comments here!

Learn more about the Navajo 

Knowledge is like the wind.
Once obtained it can take you anywhere
~~Navajo saying

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>((( * )))<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Navajo: Tradition and Change in the Southwest

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Life of the Navajo (Native Nations of North America)

Amazon Price: $26.60 (as of 10/11/2008)

Enduring Traditions: Art of the Navajo

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A Guide to Navajo Sandpaintings

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 10/11/2008)

The Navajo Weaving Tradition: 1650 to the Present

Amazon Price: $21.86 (as of 10/11/2008)

Help Me Create a BookList about the Navajo 

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Learn More About the Hopi 

Navajo Video 


Way Of The Navajo

Runtime: 15:56
16262 views
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Hoop Dance by Ginger Sykes Torres, Navajo

Runtime: 4:38
7587 views
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Hopi Videos 


Hopi and Pueblo Indians doing Eagle Dance

Runtime: 1:34
26596 views
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Hopi message from Elders

Runtime: 5:06
36171 views
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Hopi Eagle Dance

Runtime: 7:55
8106 views
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The Hopi Message

Runtime: 15:26
14548 views
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New Mexico, Land of Enchantment 

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Other Lenses about Southwest Native American Culture 

Pueblo Culture
Pueblo Culture - This site is dedicated to the rich cultures of the Pueblo Indians who live in New Mexico. T
Ulali
First Nations women's a cappella trio, ULALI

Trio members Pura Fe (Tuscarora), Soni Moreno (Apache, Yaqui, Mayan) and Jennifer Kresiberg (Tuscarora) create their own sound by blending their strong traditional roots and personal contemporary styles.

Upon the group's conception 15 years ago, they created a new genre of American Indian music embracing a wide range of indigenous music-from Southern choral singing to pre-Columbian music.

More Supporting Info 

Children's Guide to Santa Fe

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Please leave your thoughts and comments here! 

Lee_Emory

This is a great lens. You have a lot of really interesting information on Tony Hillerman and his books. Well done! I'd love for you to visit my lens and say hi when you get the chance.

Posted August 22, 2008

Barkely

Very nice lens. Thanks for adding it to Fresh Squid.

Posted August 12, 2007

TexasSkye

Wonderful lens. I have been a long time fan of Tony Hillerman and recently visited Navajoland. It was incredible, seeing all the places he writes about. I've posted a few of the pictures I took there on my Navajo Art lens. 5 *stars* and a lensroll.

Skye

Posted July 30, 2007

CrypticFragments

that is one impressive lens!

Posted February 20, 2007

Music of the Navajo and Hopi 

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