乐播传媒

Bill Sherwonit 鈥�71 has climbed Denali, North America鈥檚 tallest mountain. He鈥檚 authored nine books on topics like the Iditarod, Denali National Park, bears, and Alaska鈥檚 state parks system. A columnist for the Anchorage Daily News, he鈥檚 a well-known advocate for the state鈥檚 wilderness, especially the surprising amount in and around Anchorage itself, where Sherwonit lives with his wife, Dulcy Boehle.

Yet when Sherwonit graduated from 乐播传媒 with a geology major, his fascination with the outdoors was still two careers away.

After 乐播传媒, he earned a master鈥檚 and headed to Alaska to be a geologist. 鈥淪ome part of me knew that I was going home,鈥� recalls the Connecticut native. And the state, heavily reliant on mining and oil exploration, should鈥檝e been geologist heaven 鈥� but Sherwonit didn鈥檛 feel it. On a minerals exploration crew, he worked with people who loved geology far more than he did. 鈥淚 had my first midlife crisis in my late 20s,鈥� he says. So he left Alaska determined to 鈥渇ind something that I could love as much as those guys loved geology.鈥�

Retreating to the Los Angeles area, he enrolled in a photojournalism program that included a newswriting course. The science-minded Sherwonit embraced the logic of newswriting, 鈥渢he whole inverted-pyramid thing.鈥� After a few years, it was back to Alaska as a reporter for the now-defunct Anchorage Times, first covering sports, then the outdoors.

In Alaska, the outdoors beat goes on and on. Sherwonit covered the Iditarod, the Masters of sled-dog racing. He spent time with mountain climbers trying to scale Denali, which led to his own 1987 ascent of the 20,320-foot peak as part of a guided group. Just happy to be on the mountain, Sherwonit recalls other climbers for whom not making the top meant failure. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always talk of conquering a mountain,鈥� Sherwonit says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 buy that notion, because factors beyond your control, like the weather, often determine success or 鈥榝ailure.鈥欌��

While bagging peaks isn鈥檛 his goal, Sherwonit admits that Denali has 鈥渁n incredible allure, a special magic.鈥� And it鈥檚 a great subject for writers. Sherwonit鈥檚 Denali books include To the Top of Denali: Climbing Adventures on North America鈥檚 Highest Peak, which he calls 鈥渁 consistent seller鈥� for more than a decade. There鈥檚 also Denali: A Literary Anthology. 鈥淚 feel it鈥檚 a wonderful collection, but putting 鈥榣iterary鈥� in the title was a kiss of death. Sales have been horrible.鈥� A recent project is Denali: The Complete Guide, which gives the big picture of the Denali experience.

Then there鈥檚 Iditarod: The Great Race to Nome. 鈥淭he Iditarod is not necessarily mushers against mushers,鈥� he explains, 鈥渂ut mushers and their dogs taking on the challenge of Alaska. Just as Denali captures the public鈥檚 imagination, so does the Iditarod. Alaskans might disagree vehemently on other issues, but they agree that the Iditarod is amazing.鈥�

An ingrained fascination with confronting nature might also reflect the state鈥檚 alive-and-well frontier mentality, says Sherwonit (whose Web site is www.billsherwonit.alaskawriters.com). A prevailing Alaskan notion, he says, is that natural resources are both boundless and available 鈥渇or us to use, subdue, conquer. Things get measured in terms of their importance to our species.

鈥淏ut that鈥檚 not the only measuring stick 鈥� a lot of things, wildlife or whatever, are inherently valuable for themselves.鈥�

As for life in Anchorage, Sherwonit worries how development 鈥渘ibbles away鈥� at the city鈥檚 beloved public parks, bike trails, and other green spaces. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e going to lose all what makes Anchorage special, but it鈥檚 still worth fighting for.鈥�