Glendon Swarthout

Internationally published best-seller novelist

Puts Phoenix in sharp focus in the contemporary literary field.

How can an individual's contribution to the state or community be measured if one is a novelist? Certainly not in terms of numbers of people employed or numbers of product units manufactured. How does one place a dollar value on a radiant sunrise or a towering pine? Novelists provide aesthetic enjoyment for countless numbers of readers in every walk of life and in every corner of the world. The works of fine writers do not become dated. The pleasure of their written word continues to live each time the cover of the book is opened. Unfortunately, there are fewer than three hundred writers of fiction, in the United States, who can completely sustain themselves as writers. Glendon Swarthout is one of this fortunate few! A lonely, sensitive man, Swarthout is concerned and speaks out against the human condition in his books. Trained in the Victorian school, he believes that novels should instruct and enlighten, as well as entertain. He believes that freedom and courage, which are the main themes of his stories, "give each man that certain dignity which make him unique among the species." Glendon's eleven novels have, in addition to being published in English, been translated into Swedish, Danish, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German and Japanese. He has also collaborated with his wife, Kate, in writing four children's books. Their fifth, "Whales to See The," will be published in the Fall. Classics such as "They Came to Cordura," "Where the Boys Are," "The Eagle and the Iron Cross," "Bless the Beasts and Children," "The Tin Lizzie Troop" (owned and will be produced by Paul Newman in the near future), "The Shootist" (just published, owned by Mike Frankovich, filming will begin this year), are Swarthout novels which have made their way to Hollywood.

A new tradition may be started with the filming of "The Shootist." The Swarthouts' son, Miles, wrote the screenplay. Producer Mike Frankovich says, "As far as we know, this is the first time in Hollywood history that a novel by an author has been scripted for the film by the author's son." The Swarthouts first visited the Southwest in 1951. When "They Came to Cordura" was sold to Columbia Studios in 1959 they found themselves in the luxurious position of being able to live anywhere in the country they chose, and made a bee-line for Phoenix. It might have been more advantageous for a writer to live in New York City or its proximity. In the East they would have been in the mainstream of the publishing world, with easy access to publishers, editors, and critics. However, the casual life-style and lack of pressure outweighed the disadvantages. Their move to Phoenix was well thought out. It seemed to Glendon that there was a wealth of material here for fiction, that no one else had yet discovered. A masterful researcher, with a Ph.D. in English, Glendon began running down obscure facts at the local libraries and newspaper morgues. "I found a wealth of material, and most of the locales for my stories are the Southwest . . . California, Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas. I love the area. I probably have enough material right now for another five books, and I don't feel I have even scratched the surface. The Southwest, for me, is a writer's paradise," says Glendon. Several years ago Glendon noticed a small article in the Arizona Republic. To his surprise, it made reference to the fact that there had been a German prisoner of war camp located in Phoenix, on McDowell Road near the Papago Peaks, during World War II. Most of the men confined there were from Rommel's Afrika Korps, and had been shipped half way around the world to be imprisoned amidst the same terrain in which they had fought and been defeated. After further investigation, Glendon became excited about the possibility of a novel based on the men. Many had tried, and in some cases, had succeeded in escaping from the camp. They didn't want to go back to Germany, they escaped because they wanted to see the cowboys and Indians that they had read about as children. Where would they go? They wanted to stay, this was the promised land. What group in Arizona might help them? Was there anyone like them, then or now, who had been defeated by the Americans, and confined . . . not in camps, but on reservations?

Glendon knew he had the makings of a great adventure story. He wrote it as "The Eagle and The Iron Cross." In 1966 Columbia Pictures purchased the property for Sam Speigel, who promised Glendon knew he had the makings of a great adventure story. He wrote it as "The Eagle and The Iron Cross." In 1966 Columbia Pictures purchased the property for Sam Speigel, who promised to produce it with loving care. To date, it has still not been filmed.

When asked about the future, Glendon replied, "I hate to see growth for growth's sake. I don't believe you can put a fence up around the state, but I do hope we don't go begging pollutiontype industries to come to Arizona just for the sake of growth.

"We should never equate growth with progress. And we certainly don't want to fashion Arizona in the image of anything in the East. We are different, and we should be proud of that difference and emphasize it. We have a fantastic opportunity right now, to plan for the future and plan well. We love this state. The way of life here is better than any place in the country . . . I pray that we will be able to keep it.

"One of our greatest blessings is the tremendous area that has been set aside for national parks. This at least insures protection for those areas from population and industrial pollution."

"Now, as far as the arts are concerned, there is still a great opportunity for writers. We have marvelous libraries, universities, and newspapers for research. It is still pioneer enough so that you are not a number, and everyone gives you great cooperation."

Arizona's climate and scenic beauty have attracted many famous fiction writers-Zane Grey, Willa Cather, Clarence Budington Kelland and others.

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