Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 41 (2020) Winner
William Souder
ウィリアム・サウダー
William Souder
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1949-01-01 （Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Minneapolis (birthplace) → Florida (moved in second grade) → Grant, Minnesota — residence from 2000s (as of 2019)
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1970-
- Memberships
- The Authors Guild (member)
- Influenced By
- John James Audubon (subject/influence), Rachel Carson (subject/influence), John Steinbeck (subject/influence)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | School of Journalism | Journalism | — | — | United States |
University of Minnesota
School of Journalism
/ Journalism
Country:
United States
Wrote for the student newspaper Minnesota Daily while attending; returned to study after service in the U.S. Navy.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize — Biography | Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck | 伝記 | Los Angeles Times | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography — Finalist | Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of The Birds of America | 伝記 | Pulitzer Prize | 最終候補 |
| 2012 | The New York Times 100 Notable Books | On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson | — | The New York Times | 選出 |
| 2012 | Kirkus Reviews Top 25 Best Non-Fiction | On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson | — | Kirkus Reviews | 選出 |
Los Angeles Times Book Prize — Biography
2021
Work:
Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck
Category:
伝記
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
受賞
Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography — Finalist
2005
Work:
Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of The Birds of America
Category:
伝記
Organization:
Pulitzer Prize
Result:
最終候補
The New York Times 100 Notable Books
2012
Work:
On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
選出
Kirkus Reviews Top 25 Best Non-Fiction
2012
Work:
On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson
Organization:
Kirkus Reviews
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
A Plague of Frogs: The Horrifying True Story
2000 Environmental journalism / Non-fictionAn investigative account of deformities found in frogs in Minnesota, exploring environmental contamination and ecological impact through on-site reporting and scientific interviews.
environmental issuesecosystem disruptionscience reporting
Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of The Birds of America
2004 BiographyA biography of John James Audubon detailing his life and the creation of The Birds of America, based on extensive research and primary sources.
natural historyornithologybiographical study
On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson
2012 Biography / Environmental historyA biography evaluating Rachel Carson's life and legacy, focusing on Silent Spring and her scientific contributions and influence on the environmental movement.
environmental movementhistory of scienceindividual impact
Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck
2020 BiographyA detailed biography of John Steinbeck, combining fieldwork in California and interviews to explore his life and literary legacy.
American literatureliterary biographyregional history
Bibliography
- A Plague of Frogs: The Horrifying True Story (Hyperion, 2000)
- Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of The Birds of America (North Point Press, 2004)
- On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson (Crown, 2012)
- Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Narrative nonfiction grounded in investigative reportingExtensive use of primary sourcesAccessible biographical prose
- Recurring Motifs
- nature and environmentportraits of scientists and naturalistsAmerican regional history and social context
Legacy
William Souder is known for investigative reporting on environmental issues and detailed biographies of major 20th-century figures (Audubon, Rachel Carson, John Steinbeck). His combination of primary research and field interviews has earned recognition from both general readers and scholarly audiences.
Trivia
- Born in Minneapolis; moved to Florida in second grade.
- Served four years in the U.S. Navy before studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.
- Wrote for the student newspaper Minnesota Daily while at university.
- A 1996 front-page Washington Post story he wrote led to the contract for his first book.
- For Mad at the World he conducted extensive field research in Steinbeck's native California and transcribed previously untranscribed interviews at the National Steinbeck Center.