Jon KrakauerJon KrakauerAuthor of Author of Into the WildInto the Wild

(He’s not really as

creepy as this

picture makes him

look….)

EarlyEarly Life Life

• Born in 1954

• Grew up in Corvallis, Oregon

• Father introduced him to mountaineering as an 8-year-old So he was very passionate about the outdoors from a

very young age.

• Graduated from Hampshire College in 1976

Krakauer:Krakauer:Post-CollegePost-College

• After college he traveled around Colorado, Alaska, & the Pacific Northwest

• Worked primarily as a carpenter and commercial salmon fisherman

• Spent all his free time outdoors

ADVENTURESADVENTURES

• 1977 Traveled alone to the remote Stikine Icecap in Southeast Alaska Went three weeks without

encountering another person

Climbed a new route on an intimidating peak called

the Devil’s Thumb

Devil’s

Thumb

ADVENTURES (cont.)ADVENTURES (cont.)

• 1992 Climbed the West Face of Cerro Torre in the Patagonian Andes A mile-high spike of granite, Cerro

Torre was once considered the most difficult mountain on earth

• May 1996 Climbed Mt. Everest A snow storm hit during his team’s

descent from the summit, killing 4 of his 5 teammates

Wrote Into Thin Air about his experience

Krakauer quotation regarding the Krakauer quotation regarding the Everest tragedy of 1996:Everest tragedy of 1996:

““Short form media is reductionist by nature. Short form media is reductionist by nature. Television especially, but magazines, too, Television especially, but magazines, too,

including mine, distilled it down to "Here's the including mine, distilled it down to "Here's the good guys, here's the bad guys." And TV tried good guys, here's the bad guys." And TV tried to say, "Here's this tragedy that didn't have to to say, "Here's this tragedy that didn't have to happen," and "Who's to blame?" It's so much happen," and "Who's to blame?" It's so much

more complicated than that”more complicated than that” (Weissman). (Weissman).

Other PublicationsOther Publications• Has been published in:

– Outside

– Rolling Stone

– TIME

– The New York Times

– National Geographic

– Many others…

• #1 New York Times

Bestseller • 1998 Pulitzer Prize

Other Honors and AwardsOther Honors and Awards

• 1996 - New York Times bestseller

• 1997 - National Magazine Award

• 1997 - Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism from the American Geophysical Union

• 1999 - Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters

• 1998 - Everest '96 Memorial Fund at the Boulder Community Foundation

• Board member of the American Himalayan Foundation

• Board member of the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation

Charity Involvement

Into the WildInto the Wild• National Bestseller

• About the adventures of 23-year old Chris McCandless.

• Many of Krakauer’s own stories are interweaved throughout the book.

• Interview with Krakauer

• Interview with Oprah

Krakauer states, “To spend a year or two and tell a story right is really satisfying and after doing that it’s hard to go back and write magazine articles.”