I had the great fortune to get to know Chris Madson when I used to work at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. He was the editor of Wyoming Wildlife Magazine when I was hired as the editor or Wyoming Wildlife News. My first day on the job, I was a bit star-struck. I’d been reading Chris’ writing since I was a teen, and I marveled at every article and column I read with his byline. It was surreal to actually be working side-by-side with one of my biggest writing heroes.
Chris retired from Wyoming Wildlife several years ago, but he’s kept writing. I still follow his blog posts and try to get my hands on all the magazine articles he writes as a freelancer. He has a mastery of the English language that rivals the likes of Faulkner and Hemingway. And on top of that, he writes almost exclusively about the subjects closest to my heart, such as hunting, wildlife and conservation.
His book, True Companions: Life in the Field and Home with our Hunting Dogs, is true to Madson form. I haven’t read a book this artistically crafted since … well, since the last Madson book I was able to find.
I should note that Chris isn’t the only Madson whose writing I have long admired. His father, John Madson, was also an outdoor writer who crafted every word, every phrase, every paragraph to absolute perfection. I used to think John Madson was the best writer I’d ever read, but after reading Chris’ book, I’m not sure. I think I’m going to need Chris to put out a few more books so I can have more material to compare. I hope he does, because after finishing True Companions, anything else I pick up and start to read just falls short. I need another Madson book to read. So come on, Chris, give us more. Please.
