#1656 A Conversation with Novelist Anne Hillerman

Listening to America

History, Politics, Unitedstates, Society & Culture, American

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Clay interviews the southwestern crime novelist Anne Hillerman, now publishing her 10th novel about crime-solving in the land of the Navajo in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Anne is the daughter of the acclaimed and bestselling Tony Hillerman, who wrote 19 novels before he died in 2008. Anne decided to carry on the tradition, and her success has been extraordinary. We talked about what it is like to be the child of a great author, how her style differs from that of her father, and why she took one of her father’s minor characters, Bernadette Manuelito, and transformed her into a major figure in her work. We talked about the delicacy of non-Native writing about the Navajo world, about landscape and spirit of place, the universality of human nature, and the particularities of different cultures. We discussed the popular Hollywood TV series Dark Winds, which adapts the work of both Hillermans, Tony, and Anne.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Good day, listeners. Welcome to Listening to America with Clay Jenkinson. My name is Nolan Johnson.
0:05.8	I am the producer and the editor of the program here at Listening to America.
0:09.8	Today's show, a conversation with novelist Anne Hillerman.
0:14.4	You might recognize the name. She is the daughter of Tony Hillerman, who wrote 19 novels before he died in 2008, all surrounding crime-solving in the land of the Navajo in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado, and herself has taken over the characters that her father created and is on her 10th novel.
0:34.5	Clay had a great conversation with the author. They discussed what it's like growing up,
0:38.1	the daughter of a bestselling author, what it's like to take over the characters that your father
0:43.2	had created. And then they discussed how it became a Hollywood TV series called Dark Winds,
0:48.5	and that adapts all of the novels that the Hillermines have written. Clay and Anne also discussed the delicacy of
0:56.9	a non-native writing about the Navajo world, about the landscape and the spirit of place,
1:03.0	and how she deals with the particularities coming from a different culture. We appreciate you
1:08.7	listening. As always, you can follow along. Clay is on the trail on the
1:12.5	Lewis and Clark Trail right now. Check out where he is. All of his dispatches are up on l.tamerica.org.
1:20.1	Of course, we are always looking for people to support the program. The Friends of LTA tab is up on the
1:27.2	website now.
1:28.3	Subscribe, get a mug, get access to bonus content
1:32.1	when you find the Friends of LTA tab on LTAMrica.org.
1:38.3	That is all I have for you today.
1:40.5	Let's get to the show with Clay and Anne Hillerman.
1:45.0	Thank you. Let's get to the show with Clay and Anne Hillerman.
1:54.0	Hello everyone and welcome to this very special edition of listening to America. I'm Clay Jenkinson and I'm talking today with Anne Hillerman, the author of a number of best-selling novels,
2:00.0	writer about the American Southwest,
2:02.6	written about the Navajo and crime stories, mystery stories about the Navajo, but who is also,
	...

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