Wallace Stegner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wallace Stegner
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Stegner c. 1969
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| Born | Wallace Earle Stegner February 18, 1909 Lake Mills, Iowa, United States |
| Died | April 13, 1993 (aged 84) Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States |
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| Language | English |
| Period | 1937–1993 |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1972, Angle of Repose) National Book Award for Fiction (1977, The Spectator Bird) |
| Spouse | Mary Stuart Page (1911–2010) |
| Children | Page Stegner |
Wallace Earle Stegner (born February 18, 1909 – died April 13, 1993) was a famous American writer. He wrote many novels, short stories, and history books. He was also a strong supporter of protecting nature, known as an environmentalist. People often called him "The Dean of Western Writers" because he wrote so much about the American West. He won two very important awards for his books: the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 and the U.S. National Book Award in 1977.
Contents
Wallace Stegner's Early Life
Wallace Stegner was born in Lake Mills, Iowa. He moved around a lot when he was young. He lived in many different places, including Great Falls, Montana, Salt Lake City, Utah, and a village in Canada called Eastend, Saskatchewan. He wrote about his childhood in his book Wolf Willow. He once said he "lived in twenty places in eight states and Canada." His parents were Hilda and George Stegner.
When he lived in Utah, Wallace joined a Boy Scout troop. Even though his family was Presbyterian, he joined a troop connected to the LDS Church. He worked hard and earned the highest rank in Scouting, the Eagle Scout award.
Wallace went to college at the University of Utah, where he earned his first degree in 1930. He then continued his studies at the University of Iowa, getting his master's degree in 1932 and his doctorate degree in 1935.
In 1934, Wallace Stegner married Mary Stuart Page. They were married for 59 years and worked together on his writing. Mary was a big part of his literary life.
Wallace Stegner's Career and Teaching
Wallace Stegner taught at several universities during his career. He taught at the University of Wisconsin and Harvard University. Eventually, he settled at Stanford University in California. There, he started a special program for students who wanted to become writers. Many famous writers studied with him, including Ken Kesey and Larry McMurtry.
Besides teaching, Stegner also worked to protect the environment. He helped the Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, with environmental issues. He was also a board member for the Sierra Club, a large environmental organization. In 1962, he helped start the Committee for Green Foothills. This group works to protect the natural areas around the San Francisco Peninsula, like hills, forests, and wetlands.
Wallace Stegner's Famous Books
Stegner wrote many important books. His novel Angle of Repose was published in 1971 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1972. This book was inspired by the letters of a woman named Mary Hallock Foote.
In 1977, he won the National Book Award for his novel The Spectator Bird. Another popular book he wrote was Crossing to Safety (1987), which was a semi-autobiographical novel, meaning it was partly based on his own life.
Stegner also wrote non-fiction books. One well-known book is Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West (1954). This book is about John Wesley Powell, who was the first white man to explore the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Powell later became a government scientist and believed strongly in saving water in the American West.
Stegner also wrote the introduction for a Sierra Club book called This Is Dinosaur. This book, with photos by Philip Hyde, helped stop plans to build dams in Dinosaur National Monument. This effort was a big part of starting the modern environmental movement.
Some of Stegner's stories are set in Greensboro, Vermont, where he spent part of his time.
Wallace Stegner's Legacy and Honors
Wallace Stegner passed away in 1993 after a car accident. His work and ideas continue to be important today.
Many things have been named or created in his honor:
- The Wallace Stegner Prize: The University of Utah Press gives this award for the best book about American Western or environmental history.
- The Wallace Stegner Lecture: Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho holds an annual lecture series named after him, focusing on how writers connect with the places they live.
- The Stegner Fellowship: Stanford University has a special two-year writing program called the Stegner Fellowship, which helps new writers develop their skills.
- Wallace Stegner House: The house where Stegner lived as a child in Eastend, Saskatchewan, Canada, has been restored. It is now a place where artists can live and work, and it offers a grant called the Wallace Stegner Grant For The Arts.
- Wallace Stegner Academy: A public school in Salt Lake City, Utah, opened in 2016 and was named after him. The founders wanted to honor Stegner's dedication to learning and art.
In 2005, the Los Altos History Museum had an exhibit called "Wallace Stegner: Throwing a Long Shadow." It looked back at his life and all the books he wrote.
Even a hiking path near his home in Los Altos Hills, California, was named after him in 2008.
Awards and Recognition
Wallace Stegner received many awards for his writing and his work:
- 1937: Little Brown Prize for Remembering Laughter
- 1945: Houghton-Mifflin Life-in-America Award and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for One Nation
- 1950–1951: Rockefeller fellowship to teach writers in the Far East
- 1953: Wenner-Gren Foundation grant
- 1956: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences fellowship
- 1967: Commonwealth Club Gold Medal for All the Little Live Things
- 1972: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Angle of Repose
- 1976: Commonwealth Club Gold Medal for The Spectator Bird
- 1977: National Book Award for Fiction for The Spectator Bird
- 1980: Los Angeles Times Kirsch award for lifetime achievement
- 1990: P.E.N. Center USA West award for his body of work
- 1991: California Arts Council award for his body of work
- 1991: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- 1992: National Endowment for the Arts (he refused this award)
He also won three O. Henry Awards for his short stories and was a Guggenheim Fellow twice. He was a member of important groups like the National Institute and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
See also
In Spanish: Wallace Stegner para niños
