The Thin Air Gang represents the only novel from one of our finest poets, Ed Lahey. In fact, it is not precisely a novel in the classic sense, given that it draws heavily upon real characters and events in much the same way as A River Runs Through It. In making art larger than life, in this well wrought tale Ed Lahey has prevailed through his trademark characteristic of humane order. He lets his people develop naturally as they move through the inevitable drama. This is a good yarn, to state it as plainly as possible, one based on dynamic authenticity, tinged with wit and bold confidence. And beyond that it is a deeply felt vignette of that which happened long ago and far away.

The setting is Butte, Montana in the 1930s. Butte, once the most unique, vibrant, and densely populated town in the west, was larger than Seattle at the turn of the century, and as ethnically and culturally diverse as New York. By the time Ed was born there in 1936, the boom had slowed and the population fallen, but it was still unlike anywhere else. Ed’s father was a miner who also made whiskey during Prohibition. The Thin Air Gang draws heavily on his life and the people in it, weaving an exciting tale of politics, bootlegging, and even a little romance. The cover of the book shows Ed’s father in an old photograph standing atop his still. Ed’s life too would revolve around mining, and he had another avocation as well, one considerably less dangerous. Ed was driven to write.

After graduating from the University of Montana, where he studied the art of poetry with Richard Hugo, Ed spent his life practicing the craft. And although he has been the recipient of a number of awards, the true measure of his genius is the respect accorded him universally by his fellow authors. Today Ed Lahey lives in Missoula, Montana.