National Outdoor Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (1999) Winner
Sam Keith
サム・キース
Sam Keith
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1921-09-14 （Plainfield, New Hampshire）
- Died
- 2003-03-28 age 81
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Plainfield, New Hampshire (birthplace) → Alaska (Kodiak and other locations) → Kingston, Massachusetts (residence/work)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Educator, English teacher
- Active Years
- 1940-2003
- Influenced By
- Richard Proenneke (friend, Alaskan homesteader)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | College of Arts and Sciences | Department of English | 学士（英語） | 1946-1950 | United States |
Cornell University
College of Arts and Sciences
/ Department of English
Degree:
学士（英語）
Period:
1946-1950
Year of Graduation:
1950
Country:
United States
Enrolled under the GI Bill after World War II
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | National Outdoor Book Award (1999) | One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey | History/Biography | National Outdoor Book Award | 受賞 |
National Outdoor Book Award (1999)
1999
Work:
One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
Category:
History/Biography
Organization:
National Outdoor Book Award
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
1973 Non-fiction (nature/memoir)An edited and expanded presentation of Richard Proenneke's journals and photographs documenting his solo life in Alaska, focusing on nature observation, self-reliance, and handcrafting a cabin.
wildernessself-reliancenature observationsolitude and independence
Adaptations
- [Documentary (footage/excerpts)] Alone in the Wilderness (excerpts used)
First Wilderness: My Quest in the Territory of Alaska
Non-fiction (memoir)A previously unpublished manuscript recounting Keith's own experiences in Alaska; the lost manuscript was later found and published posthumously in 2014.
explorationpersonal memoirrelationship with nature
Bibliography
- One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey (1973; reissued 1999)
- First Wilderness: My Quest in the Territory of Alaska (manuscript; published 2014)
Adaptations
- Alone in the Wilderness (documentary using Proenneke's 16mm footage and book excerpts; shown on PBS)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- concise and descriptiveobservation-based depictiondocumentary-style editing
- Recurring Motifs
- wilderness and natureskills of self-sufficiencyhandcraft and craftsmanshipsolitary living
Legacy
Keith's editing of Richard Proenneke's journals in One Man's Wilderness is regarded as a classic of Alaskan and outdoor literature, influencing works about nature observation and self-reliance. The book's reissue and documentary exposure have sustained its readership.
Archives
- Family-held archive box (where unpublished manuscript was discovered)
In Popular Culture
- The documentary Alone in the Wilderness continues to air on PBS and other outlets
Trivia
- An unpublished manuscript was discovered decades later by his son-in-law, children's author/illustrator Brian Lies, and published in 2014.
- His friendship with Richard Proenneke produced years of correspondence and a collaborative editorial relationship.
- One Man's Wilderness won the National Outdoor Book Award for the 1999 reissue.