Kirby Jonas

Introduction

Intro

• Kirby Jonas was born in Bozeman, Montana in 1965 (54 years old)
• From Montana, he moved to the middle of a Civil War battefield in Broad Run Virginia
• In 1971, He moved to Shelley, Idaho and finally became an Idahoan where he graduated in 1983
• He has worked many differnt jobs in different cities and now resides in Pocatello, Idaho

Biography

Bio

• Grew up in remote area of Bear Canyon with an imaginative mind in the wilderness.
• This is where his love for the West came from as well as stories form his father and TV
• His friends give him the nickname as the "Renaissance Cowboys" due to his many hobbies of hiking, fishing, writing, painting, music and photography
• Lived in Montana, Idaho, France, and Arizona. Has experienced much of the United States
• Met his wife, Debbie in 1987,married in 1989, and has 4 children. 3 boys & 1 girl.
• Many jobs such as security guard, police officer, armed guard, and firefighter.
• Currently works as a armed guard for federal facilities in Pocatello.

Writings

• Aside from the many novels Kirby has written, he also dabbles in poetry and short stories.

Writing

• Wrote his first book in the 6th grade, second book in high school.
• Since then Jonas has written over 25 published novels
• Kirby Jonas has worked with western series actors like Clint Walker and James Drury to help write and narrate his first 4 audiobooks.
• Best known for his book, Death of an Eagle that became #1 best selling Western in January 1999
• Another book series, Yaqui Gold, also was a fan favorite that was written with Clint Walker in 2003
• All of Jonas's books take inspiration from times of the Old West

Western Connections

"Yaqui Gold is a powerful novel set in the West, specifically Texas, Arizona and Old Mexico, in the year 1886. Actor Clint Walker and Kirby Jonas have teamed up to create one of the most unique and fascinating looks ever at the world of the Yaqui Indians of Mexico, and two men's struggle to survive against almost impossible odds"

West Connect

• Majority of Kirby Jonas's novels take place from the Old West because of the plentiful stories and TV scenes of the West that Jonas experienced as a child.
• His fictional books follow the western stereotypes we have talked about in class that has come from media and portrays the West as a free era full of action and adventure, when in reality the west was a time of political gain and power
• Most of his books stay true to the types of struggles men had to face during the west like Man vs Nature, and Man vs Man
• His books also writes different characters point of views and settings throughout the West which allows reader to gain a bigger, well rounded idea of the realities people in the West had to constantly face.

"Death of an Eagle is the heart-touching account of a Basque sheepherder by the name of Jose Olano taught to be a man and a survivor in the wilderness by the rugged, sometimes roguish mountain man, Robert "Gray Eagle" McAllister. Jose will meet Indians, wild mustangs, grizzly bears, bad men, good men, law men, and the love of his life as he journeys on his path to becoming a man to reckon with. One day he will have to face his greatest foe--his greatest friend"

Works Cited

• Beesley, Jordan. "Kirby Jonas New Books" Idaho

State Journal, ISJ, Dec 3, 2018,https://www.idahostatejournal.com/kirby-jonas-new-books/image_64ae57fc-02b1-591e-9254-4e322713372d.html, July 16 2020

• Evenson, Kendra. "Pocatello Firefighter

Publishes 18th Book" Idaho State Journal, ISJ, Dec 11, 2014, https://www.idahostatejournal.com/members/pocatello-firefighter-publishes-18th-book/article_f39c57c2-81bb-11e4-a983-ef2598846492.html, July 16, 2020

• Jonas, Kirby. “Biography.” Kirby Jonas,

kirbyjonas.com/biography-d1/.

• Walker, Clint, and Kirby Jonas. “Yaqui Gold.”

Amazon, Howling Wolf Pub., 2003, www.amazon.com/Yaqui-Gold-Kirby-Jonas/dp/1891423088.

Kirby Jonas and James Drury