Rick Bass

The Deer Pasture

Drawings by Elizabeth Hughes Bass

Rick Bass's first collection of essays captures the clear, passionate voice of this acclaimed author at the very beginning of his career.

In The Deer Pasture, Rick Bass writes about a family tradition: each year, for more than fifty years, three generations of men in the Bass family have leased the same tract of land in the Texas hill country. More than a place to stalk the white-tail, this is a place to get together, chase armadillos, swap campfire stories, listen to quail, make biscuits, and enjoy the antics of ringtails. It's the sort of place where a man is only as good as his dog, where memories last longer, where the hunter's moon is the perfect light for chasing raccoons. Most important, it is a place to recharge the spirit and renew family ties.

"Rick Bass owns a durable and authentic voice . . . a young writer who can both frighten and amaze."-Jim Harrison Rick Bass lives in the Yaak Valley of Montana and is the author of The Watch, Ninemile Wolves, and Winter, among other books. His most recent book of short stories is In the Loyal Mountains.