H. Lee Barnes

H. Lee Barnes (born March 15, 1944) is an American writer. He was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 2009.[1]

Early life and military service

Barnes was born in Moscow, Idaho.[2] He served in the United States Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War.[1][3]

Law enforcement and other work

After his military service, Barnes worked as a deputy sheriff in Clark County from 1966 to 1972, and as a narcotics agent for the Nevada Division of Narcotics in Reno from 1973 to 1976.[1][3]

Education and teaching

Barnes graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1989. He received an MFA in creative writing from Arizona State University.[1] He later taught English and creative writing at the College of Southern Nevada.[3]

Writing

Barnes's writing primarily deals with working-class characters from the American West and Southwest.[1]

In the late 1970s Barnes wrote a book about the Vietnam war titled Scriptures, but was unable to find a publisher. He later revisited some of the themes from that book in Gunning for Ho: Vietnam Stories (2000),[3] a collection of short stories that was compared to the writing of Robert Olen Butler, Tim O'Brien, andW. D. Ehrhart.[4]

The Gambler's Apprentice (2016) is a Western set in Texas.[5]

Life Is a Country Western Song (2019), is a collection of short stories.[6]

Emerald City Blues (2025) follows Eve Halvers, a young woman from the Palouse region of Washington who moves to Los Angeles for factory work during World War II.[7]

Books

  • Gunning for Ho: Vietnam Stories (University of Nevada Press, 2000; 25th anniversary edition, 2026)
  • Dummy Up and Deal: Inside the Culture of Casino Dealing (University of Nevada Press, 2002)
  • The Lucky (University of Nevada Press, 2003)
  • Talk to Me, James Dean (Stephens Press, 2003)
  • When We Walked Above the Clouds (University of Nebraska Press, 2011)
  • Cold Deck (University of Nevada Press, 2013)
  • The Gambler's Apprentice (University of Nevada Press, 2016)
  • Life Is a Country Western Song (Baobab Press, 2019)
  • Emerald City Blues (University of Nevada Press, 2025)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "H. Lee Barnes". Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. University of Nevada, Reno Libraries. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Barnes, H. Lee 1944–". Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series. Gale. Retrieved August 1, 2026 – via Encyclopedia.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Przybys, John (March 10, 2019). "H. Lee Barnes explores melancholy themes in new book". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  4. ↑ Helicher, Karl (March–April 2000). "Gunning for Ho: Vietnam Stories". Foreword Reviews. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  5. ↑ "The Gambler's Apprentice". University of Nevada Press. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Lee Barnes' Latest Book". Arts of War. Vietnam Veterans of America. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ Kanell, Beth (November 6, 2025). "Emerald City Blues: A Novel". Washington Independent Review of Books. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
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