▁to ▁writing ▁full - time . ▁ ▁Howard ' s ▁second ▁published ▁volume ▁was ▁Mont ana ▁Marg ins : ▁ ▁A ▁State ▁Anth ology , ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁a ▁thick ▁collection ▁of ▁short ▁fiction , ▁poetry , ▁and ▁historic ▁narr atives , ▁covering ▁the ▁full ▁spectrum ▁of ▁Mont ana ' s ▁ge ography ▁and ▁history . ▁ ▁The ▁depth ▁and ▁scope ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁made ▁it ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁later ▁regional ▁anth ologies , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁vol umin ous ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁im itation , ▁The ▁Last ▁Best ▁Place : ▁ ▁A ▁Mont ana ▁Anth ology . ▁ ▁The ▁remainder ▁of ▁Howard ' s ▁life ▁was ▁devoted ▁to ▁writing , ▁prom oting ▁the ▁arts ▁in ▁Mont ana , ▁and ▁teaching ▁writers ▁work sh ops . ▁ ▁A ided ▁by ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁G ug gen heim ▁Fellow ships ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁he ▁devoted ▁considerable ▁effort ▁to ▁the ▁writing ▁of ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁M ét is ▁leader ▁Louis ▁R iel ▁and ▁his ▁resistance ▁movements ▁against ▁the ▁Canadian ▁government . ▁The ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁project ▁was ▁the ▁book ▁Str ange ▁Empire : ▁ ▁A ▁N arr ative ▁of ▁the ▁North west , ▁published ▁post hum ously ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁ ▁Howard ▁died ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁after ▁suffering ▁a ▁heart ▁attack ▁at ▁age ▁ 4 5 . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁still ▁recognized