Charles Portis died while I was off enjoying a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a book called Dog of the South by Mr.Portis. It’s about a guy named Ray, a guy on a mission. His wife Norma ran off with Dupree, her ex-husband. They’ve got Ray’s car and his credit cars. Ray went after them and took me with him. I was pretty much hooked.

Charles Portis has been called America’s least-known great writer. Even if you haven’t read any of his novels, you’ve likely seen one of the two versions of the film, True Grit, based on his novel of the same title. If you haven’t read his books, this is a good time to start. I’ve read a few but not all. Note to self: read the rest of them.

Read the NY Times obit here.