Cheryl Strayed
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Cheryl Strayed (born September 17, 1968) is an American novelist and essayist living in Portland, Oregon. Her autobiographical[1] debut novel, Torch, was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006. Strayed also writes the advice column "Dear Sugar".
Biography
Strayed was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania,[citation needed] and was raised in Minnesota.[2] She graduated from McGregor High School in Aitkin County, Minnesota, a place upon which the fictional Coltrap County in Torch is based. She received her BA from the University of Minnesota and her MFA in fiction writing from Syracuse University, where she was mentored by writers George Saunders and Mary Gaitskill among others. She is married to filmmaker Brian Lindstrom.[3]
Published works
Strayed's essays have been published in The Washington Post Magazine, The New York Times Magazine and other journals. Her work has been selected twice for inclusion in The Best American Essays ("Heroin/e" in the 2000 edition, and "The Love of My Life" in the 2003 edition). Torch, a story based on Strayed's mother's death from cancer at age 45, was a finalist for the Great Lakes Book Award and was selected by The Oregonian as one of the top ten books of 2006 by writers living in the Pacific Northwest.
Her memoir about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, published in 2012 by Alfred A. Knopf, has been optioned by actress Reese Witherspoon.[4] Wild was also excerpted in Vogue.[3]
Advice column
On February 14, 2012, Strayed came forward as the formerly anonymous author of the "Dear Sugar" advice column at The Rumpus online literary magazine.[3][5] Strayed took over the column from originator Steve Almond.[3]
Awards
Strayed's essay "Munro County", about a letter from Alice Munro, was published in The Missouri Review and won a Pushcart Prize in 2010.[6]
Bibliography
- Torch
- Wild
- Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
References
- ^ Gottlieb, Lori (May 10, 2009). "Mother, Brace Yourself". The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- ^ "Helen's Book Club Selection". KATU. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Baker, Jeff (February 15, 2012). "Portland writer Cheryl Strayed reveals she is popular advice columnist 'Dear Sugar'". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
- ^ Hallett, Alison (March 15, 2012). "Cheryl Strayed's Wild Optioned by Reese Witherspoon". The Portland Mercury. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- ^ "Cheryl Strayed is Sugar!(!!!)". The Rumpus. February 14, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
- ^ Baker, Jeff (May 5, 2010). "Portland writer Cheryl Strayed wins Pushcart Prize". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 25, 2012.