Mark E. Miller
Mark E. Miller spent his youth and early adulthood on a large ranching operation in Carbon County, Wyoming, started by his great-grandfather Isaac C. Miller in 1881. Mark lived around livestock for thirty-two years before he moved on to a full-time career in archaeology, receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Wyoming and a PhD at the University of Colorado.
He served as Wyoming State Archaeologist for three decades and today holds an adjunct professorship in the anthropology department at the University of Wyoming. Mark lives along the Big Laramie River in Albany County, Wyoming.
Praise
“Pristine prose, powerful in its directness. . . . Recalls cowboy novels of yore.”—Kirkus Review
“An eloquent, colorful, thoughtful, and memorable account.”—Midwest Book Review
“I was swept away immediately by the eloquent prose that vividly brings to life the beauty and brutality of ranch existence. . . . Miller writes with detail and clarity, but also a great sense of empathy for those around him. . . . Highly engrossing.”—Readers’ Favorite (5 stars)
“Outstanding memoir . . . as well as closely observed, poignant, and wistful. This is a valuable first-person account of growing up in every way on a property that fewer and fewer of us will see again: the family ranch.”—C. J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Magic, understanding, and truth lie within these pages. Mark Miller takes us into the heart of compassion for the people and animals, to tragedy, back-breaking hard work, and the wind-powered love of the land and its creatures. . . . A Sometimes Paradise is a masterwork.”—W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear, New York Times bestselling authors
“This fabulous firsthand account about a harsh, unforgiving life is also about a deep love and respect for nature, for animals, and, most importantly, for family and dear friends. A superb story well told.”—David Crow, award-winning author of The Pale-Faced Lie
“Mark Miller’s tales of the I Lazy D Ranch are as true and strong as the snubbing post his father plants in the center of the corral. A Sometimes Paradise is a beautiful book that earns its spurs by reminding us that without the nourishment of care and wisdom, none of our Wests can survive.”—Alyson Hagy, author of Boleto and Ghosts of Wyoming
“A gritty, poignant account of ranching. . . . The place where he grew up . . . inspired Mark to a career in archaeology, and as a writer who knows how to turn hard ranch work into inspiring stories.”—Candy Moulton, author of the Spur Award-winning biography Sacajawea
