John Nichols was a New Mexico author known for “The Milagro Beanfield War.”
- Died: November 27, 2023 (Who else died on November 27?)
- Details of death: Died in Taos, New Mexico, after a long illness at the age of 83.
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John Nichols’s legacy
Born in California, Nichols made his home in Taos as an adult, and he was best known for his “New Mexico trilogy” of novels. The trilogy started with “The Milagro Beanfield War,” which was adapted for the big screen in a movie co-written by Nichols and directed by Robert Redford. “The Magic Journey” and “The Nirvana Blues’ completed the New Mexico trilogy.
Nichols’ first two books, published prior to “The Milagro Beanfield War,” were also adapted into movies. “The Sterile Cuckoo,” published in 1965, became a 1969 Alan J. Pakula film starring Liza Minnelli and Wendell Burton, and 1966’s “The Wizard of Loneliness” was adapted by writer and director Jenny Bowen into a film with Lukas Haas and Lea Thompson.
Later novels by Nichols included “A Ghost in the Music,” “The Voice of the Butterfly,” and his most recent, 2019’s “Goodbye, Monique.” He also wrote nonfiction, including several appreciations of the natural world and his 2022 memoir, “I Got Mine: Confessions of a Midlist Writer.” He was also a photographer, with his work appearing in his book “On the Mesa.”
Tributes to John Nichols
Full obituary: Santa Fe New Mexican
