A Goodreads user
asked
Cheryl Strayed:
I have 2 q's: Who are your most influential mentors? Would/do you ever go back to the 'wild'? Thank you for influencing my own (mini) solo backcountry camping trip!!
Cheryl Strayed
Hi Carl,
I'm so glad Wild inspired you to go backpacking! I have had some wonderful mentors. The first one is Paulette Bates Alden, who was my teacher at the University of Minnesota when I was an undergraduate. She was enormously kind to me and also she challenged me to be a better writer. My other mentors were my spectacular professors at Syracuse University, where I got my MFA in fiction writing: George Saunders, Arthur Flowers and Mary Caponegro were all so important to my development as a writer.
And yes, I go back into the wild as often as possible! It's the best place to be.
Yours,
Cheryl
I'm so glad Wild inspired you to go backpacking! I have had some wonderful mentors. The first one is Paulette Bates Alden, who was my teacher at the University of Minnesota when I was an undergraduate. She was enormously kind to me and also she challenged me to be a better writer. My other mentors were my spectacular professors at Syracuse University, where I got my MFA in fiction writing: George Saunders, Arthur Flowers and Mary Caponegro were all so important to my development as a writer.
And yes, I go back into the wild as often as possible! It's the best place to be.
Yours,
Cheryl
More Answered Questions
Michele Roland
asked
Cheryl Strayed:
Wow. This is weird synchronicity--I was just emailing you this question when this post popped up on my FB page! Have you ever thought of mentoring other young (rookie) memoir writers that had unique life stories to tell? WILD and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love were my two inspirations to finally be "Brave Enough" to write my own harrowing tale of breaking out of a religious cult. Oh shoot--Out of space to write!
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