Picture an American storyteller who trekked the Himalayas, co-founded a literary magazine, and wove nature and spirituality into unforgettable prose—meet Peter Matthiessen! A novelist, naturalist, and Zen teacher, Matthiessen’s life was as adventurous as his books. From the lyrical depths of The Snow Leopard to the epic sweep of Shadow Country, his work captures the wild beauty of the world and the human spirit.
Born into privilege in New York City, Matthiessen transformed his curiosity about the natural world into a literary legacy that earned him National Book Awards in both fiction and nonfiction—a rare feat. His writing invites readers to explore distant landscapes and profound questions, blending meticulous research with a poet’s touch.
The Making of Peter Matthiessen
Born on May 22, 1927, in New York City, Peter Matthiessen grew up surrounded by wealth and opportunity. His father, an architect and Audubon Society executive, sparked his love for nature. After serving in the Navy and studying at Yale, Matthiessen moved to Paris, rubbing elbows with literary giants like William Styron and James Baldwin. There, he co-founded The Paris Review in 1953, a magazine that became a cornerstone of modern literature. Fun fact: he briefly worked for the CIA, using the magazine as cover, but soon ditched espionage for storytelling.
Back in the U.S., Matthiessen settled in Sagaponack, Long Island, supporting his family as a commercial fisherman while writing. His early novels, like Race Rock (1954), showed promise, but it was his nonfiction, rooted in his travels and environmental passion, that first captured readers’ hearts.
Peter Matthiessen’s Unforgettable Stories
Matthiessen’s work spans fiction and nonfiction, united by his love for wild places and deep questions about humanity. The Snow Leopard (1978), a nonfiction masterpiece, chronicles his 1973 Himalayan trek with biologist George Schaller. Part travelogue, part spiritual quest, it wrestles with loss—his wife Deborah’s death from cancer—and Zen Buddhist insights, earning two National Book Awards. Its lyrical prose, like describing mountains as ‘utterly still, utterly clear,’ resonates decades later.
In fiction, Shadow Country (2008) is Matthiessen’s magnum opus. This 890-page novel reworks his 1990s trilogy about Edgar J. Watson, a notorious Florida planter killed by neighbors in 1910. Blending history, myth, and Faulknerian voices, it won the National Book Award for fiction. Matthiessen’s earlier novel, At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1965), explores clashing cultures in South America, later adapted into a 1991 film. His final work, In Paradise (2014), published posthumously, follows a scholar at a Zen retreat in Auschwitz, grappling with the Holocaust’s legacy.
Matthiessen’s style is vivid yet restrained, weaving nature’s grandeur with human struggles. His themes—environmental destruction, cultural clashes, and spiritual seeking—reflect his activism and Zen practice, making his stories both timeless and urgent.
Why Peter Matthiessen Matters
Matthiessen’s impact lies in his ability to bridge worlds: nature and humanity, fiction and fact, the physical and the spiritual. As a co-founder of The Paris Review, he shaped literary culture. As an environmentalist, he championed wildlife preservation and American Indian rights, notably in In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (1983). His books inspire readers to confront big questions—about loss, justice, and our place in the world—while savoring the beauty of his prose.
Despite his death from leukemia in 2014, Matthiessen’s work endures, inviting new generations to explore the wild and the profound. His unique blend of adventure, activism, and artistry makes him a literary giant whose stories still ring true.
About Peter Matthiessen
- Born: May 22, 1927, New York City
- Died: April 5, 2014, Sagaponack, New York
- Key Works: The Snow Leopard, Shadow Country, In Paradise, At Play in the Fields of the Lord
- Awards: National Book Awards (1979, 1980, 2008), William Dean Howells Medal (2010)
- Fun Fact: Co-founded The Paris Review and briefly worked as a CIA agent
Snag The Snow Leopard or Shadow Country and dive into Peter Matthiessen’s breathtaking world of nature, adventure, and soul-searching prose!