John R. Erickson

John is the author of the Hank the Cowdog book series. He and his wife, Kris, live on their cattle ranch near Perryton, Texas.

The right horse for the job

Books | A cowboy needs a good string of horses to choose from on the ranch

by John R. Erickson
Posted 3/16/19, 12:09 pm

John R. Erickson, well known as the author of the great Hank the Cowdog series of children’s books, knows cowdogs because he was first a cowboy. He worked on ranches in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles for eight years, and in 1986 wrote a book titled Cowboy Country based on his experiences along the Beaver River in 1978 and 1979. I’ve put excerpts from that book into four baskets labeled spring, summer, fall, and winter. We are publishing in our Saturday Series one “season” each month.

Remembering Cowboy Country

Books | Living the dream of working with the best

by John R. Erickson
Posted 2/16/19, 01:07 pm

John R. Erickson, well known as the author of the great Hank the Cowdog series of children’s books, knows cowdogs because he was first a cowboy. He worked on ranches in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles for eight years, and in 1986 wrote a book titled Cowboy Country based on his experiences along the Beaver River in 1978 and 1979. I’ve put excerpts from that book into four baskets labeled spring, summer, fall, and winter. We plan to publish in our Saturday Series a “season” a month from now through May. Here’s the first.

Good writers

Books | Eight more insights from the Hank the Cowdog School of Writing

by John R. Erickson
Posted 1/19/19, 08:05 am

Good writing

Books | Eight insights from the Hank the Cowdog School of Writing

John R. Erickson | 12/15/18, 01:09 pm

In 2009, Maverick Books published John R. Erickson’s Story Craft: Reflections of Faith, Culture and Writing from the Author of Hank of the Cowdog. With permission from the publisher, we’re posting in our Saturday Series a chapter each month through January. Here’s a chapter titled “Eight Keys to Good Writing,” which starts with a quotation from Gene Edward Veith’s Reading Between the Lines: “The answer to bad books is good books.” —Marvin Olasky

‘Whatever is true …’

Books | The Apostle Paul’s guidance to the Christian storyteller

John R. Erickson | 11/17/18, 02:06 pm

In 2009, Maverick Books published John R. Erickson’s Story Craft: Reflections of Faith, Culture and Writing from the Author of Hank of the Cowdog. With permission from the publisher, we’re posting in our Saturday Series a chapter each month through January. Here’s a chapter titled “The Christian Writer,” which starts with a quotation from Philip Ryken’s Art for God’s Sake: “Christian art is redemptive, and this is its highest purpose.” —Marvin Olasky

A Christian sense of humor

Books | Using funny stories about a dog to bring joy into people’s lives

John R. Erickson | 10/20/18, 01:14 pm

In 2009, Maverick Books published John R. Erickson’s Story Craft: Reflections of Faith, Culture and Writing from the Author of Hank of the Cowdog. With permission from the publisher, we’re posting in our Saturday Series a chapter each month through January. Here’s a chapter titled “Hank and Theology,” where Erickson concludes, “Only the Maker of galaxies would have thought to give mankind such a marvelous gift as a dog.” —Marvin Olasky

Building a good story

Essay | Like a sturdy house, stories need proper structure

John R. Erickson | 9/15/18, 12:40 pm

Good stories for people who need good stories

Vocation | Writing should nourish readers like a well-planned, healthy meal

John R. Erickson | 8/18/18, 01:55 pm

A Texas trio

Essay | Ruminations on cowboy life, cattle death, and dog brains

John R. Erickson | 7/21/18, 02:57 pm

Since I turn down articles and disappoint authors every day by deciding their books haven’t made the cut for reviewing, my job helps me develop more enemies than friends. It’s delightful for an editor when a friend is also a terrific writer, so it’s a pleasure once every month to share with you the writing of John R. Erickson, who for 35 years has delighted children and adults with his Hank the Cowdog series. Here are three short essays about cowboy life, cattle death, and dog brains. —Marvin Olasky

A graceful life

Essay | Jim Bussard gladly ‘neighbored’ with others

John R. Erickson | 6/02/18, 08:13 am

On the morning of June 6, 2009, the country between our ranch and the cemetery in Lipscomb, Texas, was green from recent rains, verdant pastures flecked with spectacular sprays of a wildflower we call “Indian blanket.”

If Jim had been around that morning, he would have been smiling that big, crooked-tooth smile, and enjoying the sight of good grass, beautiful flowers, and cattle that were fat, slick-haired, and content. The news of his death had spread fast over a four-county area of the northeastern Texas Panhandle, aided by cellular phones and emails that he never used.

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