John Nichols, Author of “The Milagro Beanfield War,” Dies at 83

John Nichols, a renowned author known for his vibrant novels, particularly “The Milagro Beanfield War,” passed away on Monday at his residence in Taos, New Mexico. Nichols, originally from New York City, became a beloved figure in his adopted state, transforming from an urban outsider to a local hero. The cause of his death was heart failure, as confirmed by his daughter, Tania Harris. He was 83.

Immersed in a rich heritage and having a nomadic upbringing, Nichols transitioned naturally from a cosmopolitan New Yorker and globetrotter to a Western writer who captured the essence of the region. His most famous work, “The Milagro Beanfield War” (1974), a 445-page political allegory, narrates the struggles of farmers in the fictional town of Milagro Valley, who are denied access to water for their farms due to diversion to a large-scale development project.

“The Milagro Beanfield War” became a hit on college campuses, revered in his adopted state, and was regarded as one of the most widely read novels about Latinos for a significant period of time. In 1988, the book was adapted into a film directed by Robert Redford and featuring Rubén Blades, Christopher Walken, and Melanie Griffith.

Stephen Hull, the director of University of New Mexico Press, described Nichols’ work as “a long slow-motion valentine to the mountains, mesas, high desert, sky, and especially people of New Mexico.” According to Hull, Nichols was a comic writer who utilized absurdism and excess to portray fundamental injustices. He was deeply influenced by his time spent in Guatemala in ’64-’65 and by the poverty, authenticity, and nobility of his neighbors in northern New Mexico.

In addition to “The Milagro Beanfield War,” Nichols authored two novels set in or around Taos, namely “The Magic Journey” (1978) and “The Nirvana Blues” (1981), which, together with his masterpiece, formed a trilogy. At the time of his passing, Nichols was in the process of editing an anthology of letters, essays, and manuscripts.

The critical response to “The Milagro Beanfield War” was mixed, despite its success. Frederick Busch, writing for The New York Times Book Review, recognized Nichols’ wit but labeled the book an example of “literary colonialism.” Russell Martin, in a 1981 article for The New York Times Magazine, praised Nichols’ humor and affectionate portrayal of rural life, noting his ability to parody different lifestyles and capture the idyllic imagery of the Western setting.

John Treadwell Nichols was born on July 23, 1940, in Berkeley, California. His mother, Monique Robert, was French and grew up in France and Spain. His father, David, was the son of John Treadwell Nichols, a curator at the American Museum of Natural History. Nichols’ cousin, William F. Weld, served as the governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997.

After a series of family changes, Nichols attended the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut and graduated from Hamilton College in New York in 1962. He pursued his passion for writing and embarked on a journey that took him to Barcelona, where he lived with his grandmother. At the age of 23, he wrote “The Sterile Cuckoo,” a unique romance set in the Northeastern college milieu. The novel, described as a tale of “first love, first sex” with a peculiar heroine, was adapted into a film in 1969 starring Liza Minnelli.

Upon returning to New York, Nichols wrote five novels simultaneously and supported himself by working odd jobs. In 1965, he sold “The Sterile Cuckoo” and married Ruth Wetherell Harding. He then traveled through Latin America and published another novel, “The Wizard of Loneliness,” in 1966, which was also adapted into a film.

In 1969, Nichols relocated to Taos, where he immersed himself in the culture, learned Spanish, and dedicated his nights to writing. Throughout his career, he produced around a dozen novels, essay collections, books on nature, and a chronicle of his parents’ early life. Notably, he never used a computer.

In his 1979 memoir, “If Mountains Die,” Nichols lamented the clash of cultures occurring in Taos, referring to it as a “Hippie-Chicano war.” However, he expressed his comfort in the ethnic enclave and bohemian haven nestled in the high desert of New Mexico.

In addition to his daughter and son, Nichols is survived by his brother, Tim, and three granddaughters.