William L. Sullivan (author)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William L. Sullivan | |
|---|---|
 Sullivan in 2015 | |
| Born | 9 April 1953 Salem, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author |
| Education | |
| Genre |
|
| Subject | Oregon |
| Notable works | Listening for Coyote; Hiking Oregon's History; Oregon "100 hikes" trail guide series |
| Notable awards | Oregon Book Award finalist, 1989; University of Oregon Outstanding Service to Oregon Award, 2014 |
| Partner | Janell Sorensen |
William Lawrence Sullivan (born 9 April 1953) is an American author of outdoor guide books, histories, and fiction. He has written over twenty books, almost all of them related in some way to his home state of Oregon. Before he began his writing career, he attended several colleges, earning degrees from Cornell University and the University of Oregon. His "100 hikes" guide book series is especially popular with people who enjoy backpacking in Oregon's wilderness areas. In 2005, the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission selected one of his books, Listening for Coyote, as one of the 100 most significant books in Oregon history.
Sullivan is a fifth-generation Oregonian. He was born on 9 April 1953 in Salem, Oregon.[1][2] His father, J. Wesley Sullivan, was the editor of the Statesman Journal newspapers. His father was also a life-long advocate of wilderness conservation, which helped nurture his son's interest in the outdoors. Sullivan grew up in Salem and attended South Salem High School.[3][4][5][6]
When he was 17 years old, Sullivan won a scholarship to study at Deep Springs College in a remote desert area of Inyo County, California. He went on to Cornell University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Sullivan then attended Heidelberg University, where he studied linguistics for two years. When he returned from Heidelberg, Sullivan enrolled in the University of Oregon and received a Master of Arts degree in German literature in 1979.[3][4][5][7]
Today, Sullivan lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife, Janell Sorensen. They spend their summers in a log cabin they built in an isolated area along the Siletz River in the Oregon Coast Range. Sullivan does much of his writing at the cabin. He hikes and travels for enjoyment as well as for book research.[3][4][7][8] His other hobbies include cross-country skiing and reading foreign language novels. He also plays the pipe organ and harpsichord.[3][9][10]
Sullivan is an advocate for libraries. He served as president of the Lane (County) Library League and helped the Eugene Public Library Foundation raise $18 million for a new library which opened in 2002. He was also a member of the Oregon State Library Board from 2000 to 2008. As a member of that state board, he helped oversee the Oregon State Library system.[3][4][5][11] He has also been a member of the Round Table Club of Eugene since 2005, serving as president of the organization in 2010.[12][13]
In 2014, the University of Oregon presented Sullivan with its Outstanding Service to Oregon Award. The award recognized Sullivan's contributions to the quality of life in Oregon. The university highlighted his well-known hiking guide books and other writings along with his civic leadership, support of libraries and literacy, and environmental advocacy in his award citation.[5]
Outdoor enthusiast
Sullivan started hiking when he was five years old. Since then, he has never stopped exploring Oregon's wilderness and backcountry trails. In 1985, Sullivan decided to backpack across Oregon. He started at Cape Blanco, the state's westernmost point of land. His adventure took two-months and covered over 1,300 miles (2,100 km), before finishing at Hells Canyon on the state's eastern border. The journal he kept while on his trek became the basis for his book, Listening for Coyote.[3][5][4][14]
Over the years, Sullivan has hiked the full length of most public trail in Oregon. He used his outdoor experiences as the basis for his numerous hiking guides including his five-book "100 hikes" series. Today, he continues to travel throughout Oregon to keep his guide books current. During his frequent wilderness trips, he updates trail and destination information for new editions of his books.[3][6][5][15]
As a dedicated outdoorsman, Sullivan is an active member of Oregon Wild, an Oregon conservation group formerly known as the Oregon Natural Resources Council. He also served as a member of that organization's board of directors.[3][5] Sullivan is a well-known guest lecturer on Oregon history, backpacking, and wilderness conservation related subjects. In most years, he meets with approximately 5,000 people during his lecture tours that promote his books. His presentations include a history talks titled "Oregon for the Curious" and "Hiking Oregon's History" as well as lectures on Oregon's parks and wilderness areas.[4][7][15][16][17]
