Hal Borland
Hal Borland (1900-1978) was an American writer known for his deep connection to nature and the American West. Born in Sterling, Nebraska, and raised in Colorado, he developed a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors, which heavily influenced his writing. After serving in the Naval Reserve during World War I, Borland graduated with a degree in literature from Columbia University. His career began in journalism, working for publications like The Denver Post and The New York Times Sunday Magazine, where he honed his storytelling skills.
Borland authored numerous essays, short stories, and novels, including the acclaimed "When the Legends Die," which tells the poignant story of a Ute Indian boy and has been adapted into a film. He also published regional novels under the pseudonym Ward West and ventured into children's literature. A passionate advocate for conservation, Borland was actively involved in environmental organizations and contributed to writing conferences. His legacy includes several awards for his literary contributions, particularly in nature writing, reflecting his dedication to both storytelling and the natural world.
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Subject Terms
Hal Borland
Fiction and Nonfiction Author
- Born: May 14, 1900
- Birthplace: Sterling, Nebraska
- Died: February 22, 1978
- Place of death: Sharon, Connecticut
Biography
Harold Glen Borland was born on May 14, 1900, in the prairie town of Sterling, Nebraska. His father, William Arthur Borland, was a printer and editor, and his mother, Sarah Clinaburg Borland, was a homemaker. Borland grew up on a homestead in eastern Colorado, where he rode horses, hunted coyotes, and hiked. He served in the Naval Reserve Force in 1918. After World War I ended, he attended the University of Colorado from 1918 to 1920 and graduated from Columbia University in New York with a degree in literature in 1923. While still in college, he was a reporter for The Denver Post, and he later worked as a freelance newspaper journalist. After graduation from college, he was hired by the Stratton Press in Colorado. He stayed there a year and wrote his first book, Rocky Mountain Tipi Tales (1924). He then worked nine years for Curtis Newspapers in Philadelphia and managed to travel to every state in the nation before he was thirty years old. He spent eight years as a staff writer for The New York Times Sunday Magazine before becoming a full time freelance writer in 1943. He specialized in writing about nature, and he wrote hundreds of essays and short stories for newspapers and national magazines, including The Pittsburgh Press, Audubon, and The Progressive. He published three western novels under the pseudonym Ward West, followed by two more under his own name. A first marriage produced three sons, Harold Glen, Jr., Neil, and Donal, and in 1945 he married Barbara Ross Dodge, who also became his collaborator on several magazine projects. Barbara’s daughter Diane also joined the family, and they moved to a hundred-acre farm in Connecticut. Borland served as director of the nonfiction section of the Rocky Mountain Writers Conference in 1955, and he also served on many boards and committees dedicated to conservation. In 1963 he published his most important novel, When the Legends Die, which became a best-seller, was translated into nine languages, and was made into a movie in 1972. The novel tells the story of a Ute Indian boy living alone in the wilderness. Borland’s work also includes books for children and the book How to Write and Sell Non-Fiction (1956). He died of emphysema on February 22, 1978, in Sharon, Connecticut. Borland won several awards, including two for High, Wide, and Lonesome (1957), the first of two autobiographies. The Golden Circle: A Book of Months (1977) was named an Outstanding Science Book for Children. He won the prestigious John Burroughs Medal for distinguished nature writing in 1968.