John Straley
Encyclopedia
John Straley is a poet and author of detective fiction
. He currently resides in Sitka, Alaska
.
, California
. He grew up in the Seattle area and attended high school in New York City. Straley trained, with encouragement from his parents, to be a horseshoer. He attended Grinnell College
before transferring to the University of Washington
for a degree in writing. After college and a stint in Eastern Washington
, he followed his wife to Sitka, Alaska in 1977. After moving through a number of jobs he became a private investigator and a staff investigator for the Alaska Public Defender. As an investigator, he continued to write. After being turned down by publishers numerous times, in 1991 he received a tip from friend and anthropologist Richard Nelson
that New York City
-based Soho Press
was interested in detective fiction novels. Upon submitting his manuscript for The Woman Who Married a Bear, Soho Press expressed interest in his work. After a successful run of mysteries that has garnered critical acclaim, he is now looking outside of his trademark Cecil Younger series for future books.
During his presidency, Bill Clinton
visited a bookstore and bought The Woman Who Married a Bear.
In 2006, he was named writer laureate for the State of Alaska; he served in that position until 2008.
In 2008, Alaska Northwest Books published Straley's The Big Both Ways, a historical fiction work based in the Pacific Northwest.
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
. He currently resides in Sitka, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Biography
John Straley was born in Redwood CityRedwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He grew up in the Seattle area and attended high school in New York City. Straley trained, with encouragement from his parents, to be a horseshoer. He attended Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
before transferring to the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
for a degree in writing. After college and a stint in Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane , the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the...
, he followed his wife to Sitka, Alaska in 1977. After moving through a number of jobs he became a private investigator and a staff investigator for the Alaska Public Defender. As an investigator, he continued to write. After being turned down by publishers numerous times, in 1991 he received a tip from friend and anthropologist Richard Nelson
Richard Nelson (author)
Richard K. Nelson is a cultural anthropologist and writer whose work has focused primarily on the indigenous cultures of Alaska and, more generally, the relationships between people and nature.He is the host to a public radio series called Encounters aired nationally.Nelson was born and raised in...
that New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based Soho Press
Soho Press
Soho Press is a New York City-based publisher. Founded by Laura Hruska in 1986, the company's primary focus is literary fiction and international crime series, with the occasional memoir...
was interested in detective fiction novels. Upon submitting his manuscript for The Woman Who Married a Bear, Soho Press expressed interest in his work. After a successful run of mysteries that has garnered critical acclaim, he is now looking outside of his trademark Cecil Younger series for future books.
During his presidency, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
visited a bookstore and bought The Woman Who Married a Bear.
In 2006, he was named writer laureate for the State of Alaska; he served in that position until 2008.
In 2008, Alaska Northwest Books published Straley's The Big Both Ways, a historical fiction work based in the Pacific Northwest.
Cecil Younger series
- The Woman Who Married a Bear (1992)—winner of the 1993 Shamus AwardShamus AwardThe Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America for the best detective fiction genre novels and short stories of the year....
- The Curious Eat Themselves (1993)
- The Music of What Happens (1996)—winner of the Spotted Owl Award
- Death and the Language of Happiness (1997)
- The Angels Will not Care (1998)
- Cold Water Burning (2001)
Other writing
- Short stories:
- "Life Before the War"—published in Men from Boys
- "Finding Lou"—published in The Mysterious North
- Essays:
- Published in The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, Alaska magazineAlaska magazineAlaska is a periodical devoted to news and discussion of issues and features of and from Alaska. A great deal of its readership consists of persons outside of Alaska who are interested in the Alaskan way of life.... - "Love, Crime and Joyriding on a Dead-End Road"—published in The Book of the Tongass (1999)
- Published in The Nation