William Kittredge
Encyclopedia
William Kittredge is an American writer from Oregon
, United States
. He was born in Portland, Oregon
, and grew up on a ranch in Southeastern Oregon
's Warner Valley
in Lake County
where he attended school in Adel, Oregon
, and later would attend high school in California
and Oregon
. At age 35 he retired from ranching and enrolled in Iowa Writers' Workshop
at University of Iowa
where he completed his MFA
. He taught creative writing at University of Montana.
Kittredge's father Oscar was friends with leadership in the Republican Party in Oregon. Oscar was to be picked up by Oregon Governor Earl Snell
for a hunting trip in October 1947 when the plane Snell and Oregon Secretary of State
Robert Farrell
, among others, crashed en route, killing all four on board. Two years later, in 1949, William entered Oregon State University
in Corvallis
.
He became a major voice with his 1987 collection of essays, Owning It All, about the modern West. He followed with his famous book, Hole in the Sky: A Memoir. His book The Nature of Generosity holds forth on the value of what he terms extreme long loop altruism, elaborating with refreshing insights and wisdom on sustainability, civilization, and its relationship to culture, history, and human nature. He was also co-producer of the movie A River Runs Through It
.
He has received numerous awards including a Stegner Fellowship
at Stanford and Writing Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. With Annick Smith
, he edited The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was born in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and grew up on a ranch in Southeastern Oregon
Southeastern Oregon
Southeastern Oregon is a geographical term for the area along the state of Oregon's borders with Idaho, California, and Nevada. It includes the populous areas of Burns, Klamath Falls and Lakeview.-Counties:-Cities and towns:Burns |Chemult |Chiloquin |...
's Warner Valley
Warner Valley
The Warner Valley is located in south-central Oregon, United States. It is a remote valley at the northwestern corner of North America’s Basin and Range Province. The valley is home to a chain of lakes and wetlands, known as Warner Lakes. The Warner Valley was used by Native Americans for...
in Lake County
Lake County, Oregon
Lake County is a county in the high desert south central region of the U.S. state of Oregon, so named for the many lakes found within its boundaries, including Lake Abert, Hart Lake Reservoir, and Goose Lake. While Lake is among Oregon's largest counties, it is sparsely populated with 7,895...
where he attended school in Adel, Oregon
Adel, Oregon
Adel is an unincorporated community in southeastern Lake County, Oregon, United States. It consists largely of a cafe and gas station, amid a community of loosely scattered ranches...
, and later would attend high school in 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...
and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. At age 35 he retired from ranching and enrolled in Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
at University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
where he completed his MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
. He taught creative writing at University of Montana.
Kittredge's father Oscar was friends with leadership in the Republican Party in Oregon. Oscar was to be picked up by Oregon Governor Earl Snell
Earl Snell
Earl Willcox Snell was an Oregon businessman American Republican politician, serving in the Oregon House of Representatives, as the Oregon Secretary of State, and as the 23rd Governor of Oregon....
for a hunting trip in October 1947 when the plane Snell and Oregon Secretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
Robert Farrell
Robert S. Farrell, Jr.
Robert S. Farrell, Jr. was an American Republican politician in the state of Oregon.-Political career:He lived in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon and served as a Delegate to the Republican National Convention from Oregon in both 1940 and 1944. Farrell was elected as the Speaker of the Oregon...
, among others, crashed en route, killing all four on board. Two years later, in 1949, William entered Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
in Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
.
He became a major voice with his 1987 collection of essays, Owning It All, about the modern West. He followed with his famous book, Hole in the Sky: A Memoir. His book The Nature of Generosity holds forth on the value of what he terms extreme long loop altruism, elaborating with refreshing insights and wisdom on sustainability, civilization, and its relationship to culture, history, and human nature. He was also co-producer of the movie A River Runs Through It
A River Runs Through It (film)
A River Runs Through It is an Academy Award winning 1992 American film directed by Robert Redford and starring Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, and Emily Lloyd...
.
He has received numerous awards including a Stegner Fellowship
Stegner Fellowship
The Stegner Fellowship program is a two-year creative writing fellowship at Stanford University. The award is named after American Wallace Stegner , an historian, novelist, short story writer, environmentalist, and Stanford faculty member who founded the university's creative writing program. Ten...
at Stanford and Writing Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. With Annick Smith
Annick Smith
Annick Smith is a writer and filmmaker whose work often focuses on the natural world.The daughter of Hungarian émigrés, Smith was born in Paris and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In 1964, she moved to Montana, where she and her husband and sons eventually settled on a ranch in the Blackfoot River...
, he edited The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology.
Works authored
- The Van Gogh Field and Other Stories (1976)
- We Are Not in This Together (1984)
- Owning It All (1987)
- Hole in the Sky: A Memoir (1992)
- Who Owns the West? (1995)
- The Nature of Generosity (2000)
- Southwestern Homelands (2002)
- The Willow Field (2006)
- The Next Rodeo: New and Selected Essays (2006)
Further reading
- William Kittredge. McFarland, Ronald E. 2002. Boise State University western writers series, no. 152. Boise, Idaho: Boise State University