The treacherous Arctic is the setting of a harrowing true story of shipwreck, disaster, and survival in the early twentieth century. Acclaimed adventure writer Buddy Levy, also a creative writing and English professor at Washington State University, talks with Washington State Magazine associate editor Adriana Janovich about his latest book, Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk.
The second of three nonfiction historical narratives by master storyteller Levy about survival and exploration in the Arctic wilderness, this book tracks the voyage of the Karluk to the Bering Sea and its destruction in the ice, leaving crew, Inuit guides, and … » More …
The mission of the Fallen Cougars Project is to create a digital memorial to the 250 Washington State College World War II war dead. By researching and displaying short biographical portraits, the Fallen Cougars Project aims to reintroduce these largely forgotten WSC students into the 21st century Cougar Nation.
Through historical film footage and interviews, student researchers and project director Ray Sun, associate professor of history at Washington State University Pullman, explore the meaning of the project and what it means to them personally.
One made the coffee every morning. “That was just standard operating procedure,” she explains, noting one boss never called her by her name. It was always “Young Lady.”
Another, in her first job out of high school, babysat for astronauts after work. Still another, a mathematician, was asked to fill in for two weeks for a secretary who was on her honeymoon. When she … » More …
His father slapped him, commanding him to tend to his chores. Instead, the 18-year-old marched into the farmhouse where he lived with his parents and siblings, grabbed his father’s rifle, and shot him in the back of the head before turning the weapon on his mother and a community member who had stopped to chat.
The more historian Peter Boag learned about the killing in west Linn County—and its place in the larger social … » More …
There are a lot of facets to well-being, happiness, and joy. Washington State University faculty in history, psychology, philosophy, nursing, and medicine examined several aspects of happiness in the Fall 2022 feature, “…and the pursuit of happiness.” The science of happiness has been a growing field, with real world implications for our mental and physical health, society, and future.
Dive even deeper into the topic through the articles and courses below.
Where did the idea for Cadenzas come from? What inspired you to write it? And how long did it take?
Four years ago at the age of 79 and aware of how much background work my previous novels have demanded, I was pretty sure that this one, Cadenzas, would be my last novel. Add to that my recollection of what the Palestinian writer Edward Said thought, that the last novel an author writes is usually the one that they’ve always wanted to write, I thought this was it, this was most likely going to be my last one.
