Charles Portis (1933-2020) is celebrated as one of America's most distinctive and original literary voices. Best known for his classic novel True Grit, Portis combined sharp wit, deadpan humor, and a keen eye for the absurdities of everyday life to create stories that are both timeless and deeply American. His novels--including Norwood, The Dog of the South, Gringos, and True Grit--have earned cult status for their offbeat characters, comic brilliance, and narrative charm.

Beyond fiction, Portis was an accomplished journalist and essayist, producing incisive reportage and cultural commentary that reveal his unmatched gift for observation and language. His collected nonfiction, short stories, and plays in Escape Velocity showcase the full range of his talent, from satirical humor to poignant reflections on American identity.

Portis's work continues to captivate readers who value originality, wit, and storytelling that transcends genre. Whether through his iconic Western or his eccentric road novels, Portis remains a writer whose voice is unmistakable and whose influence endures.

"Skillfully constructed, a comic tour de force."--New York Times Book Review

"Quite simply, an American masterpiece."--Boston Globe

"Rollicking . . . a beaut narrated in the unforgettable voice of Mattie Ross . . . Portis has crazy-cool literary swagger."--Entertainment Weekly

"Charles Portis is an original, indescribable sui generis talent . . . Rereading Portis is one of the great pure pleasures--both visceral and cerebral--available in modern American literature."--Ron Rosenbaum, Esquire

"It's possible that True Grit is the genuine article--a book so strong that it reads as myth."--Ed Park, The Believer

"Charles Portis's True Grit is a masterpiece."--Anthony Bourdain, New York Times Book Review

"The dialogue in True Grit is exquisite."--David Mamet, The Week

"I've always thought Charles Portis had a wonderful talent--original, quirky, exciting."--Larry McMurtry

"An epic and a legend."--Washington Post

"Charles Portis's True Grit captures the naive elegance of the American Voice."--Jonathan Lethem