Ivan Doig has been called a Montana writer, but he prefers to think of himself as a writer for the entire country. Trained as a journalist at Northwestern University where he received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in journalism, he also holds a Ph.D in history from the University of Washington. The journalism training and working as a journalist have enabled him to be a thorough researcher when writing his books as well as helping him to write quickly to meet self-imposed deadlines in writing his novels.

His memoir, This House of Sky, has been used in many college courses. In it he depicts his life growing up motherless with his father, Charlie, and his grandmother, Bessie against the background of small towns and ranches in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. In addition to having a book used as a text in college courses, Ivan Doig has been given the Evans Biography Award as well as being a National Book Award finalist.

Doig’s latest book, The Whistling Season, is now available. It is the story of a widower with three sons, set in Montana in 1909. The memories of people who grew up in Montana, including Doig himself, are part of this novel.

Keeping to his “writing schedule”, Ivan Doig has already begun his next novel, which again is set in Montana. This story takes place during World War II.

For more information, please visit www.ivandoig.com or www.missoulian.com/specials/100montanans/list/056.html.

Ivan Doig will appear on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2 pm in the Salt Lake City Main Library, Auditorium.