Robin Cody
Encyclopedia
Robin Cody is an American
writer from Oregon
. His works include fiction and non-fiction books about nature.
. When he was five, his family moved to Estacada, Oregon
when his father was hired as the grade school principal there. The Codys remained in Estacada for nearly 50 years. Cody graduated from Yale University
, taught in the American School of Paris
, France, and was the Dean of Admissions for Reed College
. In 1984 he became a writer with The Oregonian
and one of his stories won the Western Writers of America
’s Silver Spur Award
for short non-fiction in 1986. Cody joined the Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA) as a freelance writer for a time. It was during an assignment for the BPA that he was inspired to canoe the Columbia River
from its source to its mouth. The 82-day trip gave birth to his book, Voyage of a Summer Sun, which won the Oregon Book Award
in 1995. He teaches seminars and workshops around Portland, Oregon
mostly about nature writing
.
students in a fictional small town in Oregon in the 1960s. The town in the book was based on Oregon.
The book has generated controversy because of what some considered to be "sexually explicit language" not appropriate for high school readers. Parents from Clackamas High School
in Oregon attempted to have the book banned in the North Clackamas School District
. After student and parent outcry against the banning, the school board voted to keep the book. In response to the criticisms, Cody and publisher Ooligan Press released a new version of the book without the controversial paragraphs.
Ricochet River was one of one hundred works chosen by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
for "as exemplifying Oregon’s rich literary heritage from the years 1800 to 2000".
Ricochet River was made into a 1998 film starring Kate Hudson
.
http://www.robincody.net/books/books.html Books by Robin Cody
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. His works include fiction and non-fiction books about nature.
Biography
Robin Cody was born in St. Helens, OregonSt. Helens, Oregon
St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon. It was founded by Captain H. M. Knighton, a native of New England, in 1845 as "Plymouth". The name was changed to St. Helens in the latter part of 1850 for its view of Mount St. Helens some away in Washington. The population was 10,019 at...
. When he was five, his family moved to Estacada, Oregon
Estacada, Oregon
Estacada is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, about 30 miles southeast of Portland. The population was 2,695 at the 2010 census. -History:The Estacada post office opened in February 1904 and the city was incorporated in May 1905...
when his father was hired as the grade school principal there. The Codys remained in Estacada for nearly 50 years. Cody graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, taught in the American School of Paris
American School of Paris
The American School of Paris is a private, coeducational day school located in Saint-Cloud, a suburb of Paris, France. It was founded in 1946 shortly after the end of World War II by the combined efforts of the American Embassy and the American Express Company...
, France, and was the Dean of Admissions for Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
. In 1984 he became a writer with The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
and one of his stories won the Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America, founded 1953, promotes literature, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional western fiction, the more than five hundred current members also include historians and other non-fiction writers as well as authors...
’s Silver Spur Award
Spur Award
The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:...
for short non-fiction in 1986. Cody joined the Bonneville Power Administration
Bonneville Power Administration
The Bonneville Power Administration is an American federal agency based in the Pacific Northwest. BPA was created by an act of Congress in 1937 to market electric power from the Bonneville Dam located on the Columbia River and to construct facilities necessary to transmit that power...
(BPA) as a freelance writer for a time. It was during an assignment for the BPA that he was inspired to canoe the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
from its source to its mouth. The 82-day trip gave birth to his book, Voyage of a Summer Sun, which won the Oregon Book Award
Oregon Book Award
The Oregon Book Awards are presented annually by Literary Arts, Inc. for "the finest accomplishments by Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature." -History:...
in 1995. He teaches seminars and workshops around Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
mostly about nature writing
Nature writing
Nature writing is generally defined as nonfiction prose writing about the natural environment. Nature writing often draws heavily on scientific information and facts about the natural world; at the same time, it is frequently written in the first person and incorporates personal observations of and...
.
Ricochet River
Ricochet River, Cody's second book, was first published in 1992 by Blue Heron Publishing, later editions published by Ooligan Press. It deals with the lives of three high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students in a fictional small town in Oregon in the 1960s. The town in the book was based on Oregon.
The book has generated controversy because of what some considered to be "sexually explicit language" not appropriate for high school readers. Parents from Clackamas High School
Clackamas High School
Clackamas High School is a public high school located in Clackamas, Oregon. The school itself was built in 2002, replacing an older, smaller building built in 1957 which is now Alder Creek Middle School, and starting the 2010-2011 school year the campus includes the former building of Sunrise...
in Oregon attempted to have the book banned in the North Clackamas School District
North Clackamas School District
The North Clackamas School District is a school district located in the upper middle portion of Clackamas County, Oregon. This district encompasses the communities of Clackamas, Milwaukie, Damascus, Happy Valley, and Carver.-Board:...
. After student and parent outcry against the banning, the school board voted to keep the book. In response to the criticisms, Cody and publisher Ooligan Press released a new version of the book without the controversial paragraphs.
Ricochet River was one of one hundred works chosen by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
The Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission is a non-profit organization based in the U.S. state of Oregon. The commission was formed in 1991 in order to discover and commemorate important literary and cultural contributions to Oregon's history. The group does this through publications and other...
for "as exemplifying Oregon’s rich literary heritage from the years 1800 to 2000".
Ricochet River was made into a 1998 film starring Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
.
Published works
- Umbrella Guide to Bicycling the Oregon Coast (Friday Harbor, WA: Umbrella Books, 1990) ISBN 0-914143-25-5
- Ricochet River (New York, NY: Knopf, 1992) ISBN 0-679-40431-7
- Voyage of a Summer Sun (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated, 1995) ISBN 0-679-41768-0
- Another Way the River Has: Taut True Tales from the Northwest (Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 2010) ISBN 978-0-87071-583-9
External links
- Biography a Nye Beach Writer's Series Feature
http://www.robincody.net/books/books.html Books by Robin Cody