Wallace Stegner

Wallace Stegner
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Name	Wallace Stegner
Birth date	February 18, 1909
Birth place	Lake Mills, Iowa
Death date	April 13, 1993
Death place	Santa Fe, New Mexico
Occupation	Novelist, historian, environmentalist
Nationality	American
Notableworks	Angle of Repose, Crossing to Safety

Wallace Stegner was a prominent American novelist, historian, and environmentalist, known for his works that explored the American West and its relationship with the natural environment, often drawing parallels with the experiences of John Muir and Aldo Leopold. Stegner's writing was heavily influenced by his childhood experiences in Saskatchewan, Canada, and his later life in California and New Mexico, where he interacted with notable figures such as Ansel Adams and David Brower. His literary contributions have been compared to those of John Steinbeck and Edith Wharton, and he was a key figure in the development of the Stanford University creative writing program, alongside Yvor Winters and John Gardner. Stegner's work also reflects his interest in the history of the United States, particularly the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the California Gold Rush.

● Early Life and Education

Stegner was born in Lake Mills, Iowa, to a family of Mormon pioneers who later moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, where he spent his childhood, developing a deep appreciation for the natural world, similar to that of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. He later moved to the United States and attended the University of Utah, where he earned his bachelor's degree, and later, he received his master's degree from the University of Iowa, under the guidance of Norman Foerster. Stegner's education was also influenced by his interactions with notable writers such as Vardis Fisher and Walter Van Tilburg Clark, and he was a member of the PEN America organization, which aimed to promote literature and protect freedom of speech, as advocated by George Orwell and Arthur Miller.

● Career

Stegner began his career as a writer and teacher, working at various institutions, including University of Wisconsin–Madison, Harvard University, and Stanford University, where he taught alongside notable writers such as Brenda Ueland and Wallace Fowlie. He was also a member of the National Park Service advisory board and worked with the Sierra Club, a prominent environmental organization founded by John Muir, to promote conservation and protect the natural beauty of the American West, including iconic sites such as Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon. Stegner's career was marked by his interactions with notable figures such as Rachel Carson and Stewart Udall, and he was a strong advocate for the protection of the Wild and Scenic Rivers and the National Wilderness Preservation System, as established by the Wilderness Act.

● Literary Works

Stegner's literary works include novels such as Angle of Repose, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1972, and Crossing to Safety, a novel that explores the lives of two couples, including the Harvard University-educated Larry and Sally Morgan, and their relationships with the natural world, echoing the themes of Willa Cather and Edith Wharton. His other notable works include The Big Rock Candy Mountain and Recapitulation, which reflect his interest in the history of the American West and the experiences of pioneers such as Kit Carson and John Wesley Powell. Stegner's writing was also influenced by his interactions with notable writers such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and he was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an organization that promotes literature and the arts, alongside T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound.

● Environmental Advocacy

Stegner was a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and protection, and he worked tirelessly to promote the preservation of the natural beauty of the American West, including the Redwood National and State Parks and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. He was a strong supporter of the Wilderness Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, and he worked with organizations such as the Sierra Club and the National Park Service to protect the Yellowstone National Park and the Zion National Park. Stegner's environmental advocacy was influenced by his interactions with notable figures such as David Brower and Stewart Udall, and he was a key figure in the development of the environmental movement in the United States, alongside Rachel Carson and Gaylord Nelson.

● Awards and Legacy

Stegner received numerous awards and honors for his literary contributions, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, and he was posthumously inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2008, alongside notable figures such as John Muir and Ansel Adams. Stegner's legacy continues to be celebrated through the Wallace Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University, which provides support for emerging writers, and his work remains widely read and studied, influencing writers such as Terry Tempest Williams and Barry Lopez, and reflecting the themes of Edward Abbey and Gary Snyder.

● Personal Life

Stegner was married to Mary Stuart Page Stegner and had one son, Page Stegner, who is also a writer and environmentalist, and has worked with organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund. Stegner's personal life was marked by his love of the natural world and his commitment to environmental conservation, and he spent much of his life living in California and New Mexico, where he was inspired by the beauty of the American West, including the Santa Fe National Forest and the Gila National Forest. Stegner's personal life was also influenced by his interactions with notable figures such as Aldo Leopold and Joseph Wood Krutch, and he was a member of the American Philosophical Society, an organization that promotes intellectual inquiry and critical thinking, alongside Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan.