When Wallace Stegner was born 100 years ago, the frontier was long closed and memories of the Wild West were fading to myth. As an impassioned advocate for the great outdoors, an inspiring teacher and mentor, and a visionary author, he embodied and protected the power and integrity of the 20th century American West. Stegner would have turned 100 years old on February 18, 2009. To celebrate, the PBS station KUED, in conjunction with the University of Utah, broadcast a biography of Stegner and the landscapes that shaped him. The film features interviews with Philip Fradkin, author of Wallace Stegner and the American West, and with Stegner’s family members, friends, and former students. In addition, the University of Utah’s Stegner Center will celebrate his 100th birthday at its annual symposium in Salt Lake City, March 6-7. Fradkin, along with a group of former Stegner Fellows, writers, conservationists, historians, and others will speak at the symposium to honor Stegner’s life, vision, and legacy.
