Northwest Authors Series: Craig Lesley

Author Craig Lesley will discuss his four novels and memoir during a NW Authors presentation at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 in the Cannon Beach Library.
Lesley, nominated twice for a Pulitzer Prize, wrote the novels Winterkill, River Song, Sky Fisherman and Storm Riders, as well as a memoir, Burning Fence. His works, including the memoir, explore the father-son relationship, the native American struggle and the myth of the American West.

A native Oregonian, Lesley was born in The Dalles and raised by a working single mother in small towns throughout the state, including Madras, Pendleton and Baker City. Before beginning his writing career, he was a river guide, longshoreman and farm worker. His writing reflects his working class background.

Author Craig Lesley

Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, he won three Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Awards, the Western Writers of America Golden Spur Award for Best Novel and an Oregon Book Award. He received several national fellowships and holds a doctorate of humane letters from Whitman College.Lesley was educated at Whitman College, the University of Kansas, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and he taught English and creative writing for over 50 years, including workshops at PSU’s Haystack Summer Arts Program in Cannon Beach.