Norman Fitzroy Maclean was born in Clarinda, Iowa in 1902. He spent much of his career as a professor at the University of Chicago before retiring to pursue writing. Following his retirement, Maclean became a significant figure in American literature. He is best known for his collection of novellas A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, published in 1976. He also wrote the creative nonfiction work Young Men and Fire, which was published in 1992. Maclean died in Chicago in 1990.