Max Evans
| Max E. Evans
(Author and painter of the American West) | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 29, 1924 Ropesville, Hockley County Texas, USA Resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Political Party | Unaffiliated voter |
| Spouse | Patricia James Evans (married 1949) |
| Religion | Christian |
Max E. Evans (born August 29, 1924,[1] in Ropesville in Hockley County near Levelland, Texas) is the author of twenty-five books focusing on the American West, specifically the states of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma, which he calls the Hi-Lo country. A keen humorist, his books reveal colorful tales about nearly anything from horses and coyotes to his artistic career and the inevitability of aging. He has won multiple Spur, Wrangler, and Owen Wister awards, the latter named for the author of the western classic, The Virginian.[2]
His mother taught him to read when he was only three years of age. He spent much of his growing up years in Lea County near Lovington, New Mexico. He was a cowboy by the age of fourteen in 1938, when he received seventy-five cents per day. "I learned to admit when I made mistakes. ... I eventually worked up to what cowboys made—$30 a month."[2] In 1949, he married the former Patricia "Pat" James; the couple lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[3]
In a 2013 interview, updated in 2017, Evans explained why a person’s first horse (His first horse was named "Cricket.") is unforgettable. He also addressed the importance of humor:
That is when you become acquainted with a different world. You are out there alone, and responsibilities fall on you together. You share the same experiences. A kid becomes as close to his first horse as to his brother, sister, or folks. You can get to thinking that you have the same blood. Your first horse is like your buddy in war—you become dependent on him for life. Your first horse is the first most important relationship in your life....
Humor is survival. No phone, TV, radio, or mail. There’s nothing out there—just you, the animals, the rocks, nature, the work. What else is there? So you do your own plays, your own jokes, your own work. You have to have your own sense of humor about those rocks you get thrown into. You have to have humor to overcome blizzards, droughts, and heat. Humor becomes a natural part of life. Life is a tragic comedy; it starts that way and ends up that way.'[2]
Book titles
- The King of Taos (2020) (a novel)
- Madam Millie: Bordellos from Silver City to Ketchikan (2002)
- For the Love of a Horse (2019)
- Faraway Blue (2019)
- The Rounders (2011)
- Bluefeather Fellini (2011)
- Super Bull and Other True Escapades (2015)
- War and Music: A Medley of Love (2019)
- The White Shadow (2016)
- The Hi-Lo Country (1998)[4]
Evans is also a film director known for The Wheel (1973), The Rounders (1965) starring Glenn Ford, and The Hi-Lo Country.[3] He also painted primarily western scenes.
References
- ↑ Max Evans. Mylife.com. Retrieved on June 4, 2020; some sources claim that Evans' year of birth is 1925, instead of 1924; other sources say he is 95 now, which would make the 1924 date correct.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Stuart Rosenbrook (February 13, 2017). At Home with Max Evans - American Cowboy. Retrieved on June 4, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Max Evans - Biography. Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved on June 4, 2020.
- ↑ Max Evans. Amazon.com. Retrieved on June 4, 2020.
