Frederick Manfred (1912–94) grew up on a farm in Iowa with six brothers, attended Calvin College in Michigan, and then hitchhiked for two years across America, which provided him with rich material for his novels. He is the author of twenty-four novels, including a five-volume series, The Buckskin Man Tales, which includes Lord Grizzly, a finalist for the 1954 National Book Award, Conquering Horse, Scarlet Plume, King of Spades, and Riders of Judgment. He also published volumes of poetry, short stories, and essays. John R. Milton (1924–95) taught at the University of South Dakota and is the author of several works, including The Novel of the American West, South Dakota: A Bicentennial History, and The Tree of Bones and Other Poems. Freya Manfred is the author of the memoir Frederick Manfred: A Daughter Remembers and six books of poetry, including My Only Home and Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle.