John

Larison

Bestselling Author

Novelist & Professor

Travels from: Eugene, OR

“Larison writes with unrelenting momentum and thoughtfully explores questions of gender identity, power, and violence.” — Outside Magazine

John Larison was born in 1979 in Philomath, Oregon. The son of National Geographic filmmakers, he spent much of his childhood on-assignment, often staying in remote tropical or mountainous regions among subsistence communities. He attended the University of Oregon and studied philosophy and literature, and stayed to earn a Master’s of Education. While learning to write fiction, he worked as a fly fishing and whitewater guide in the Pacific Northwest. In 2007, he earned a MFA at Oregon State University.

His first book was a how-to text on fly-fishing, The Complete Steelheader (Stackpole 2008). He went on to publish two fishing-related novels Northwest of Normal (Barclay Creek 2009) and Holding Lies (Skyhorse 2011).

His 2018 novel, Whiskey When We’re Dry, was a Los Angeles Times and Seattle Times bestseller, an Indie Next Pick in hardcover and paperback, a finalist for the Ken Kesey Award and the Gold Crown Award (UK), and winner of the Will Rodgers Medallion. It was named a Best Book by O Magazine, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Outside Magazine, Powell’s, The Times (United Kingdom), the BBC, and others. It was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.

His 2024 novel, The Ancients, will be released by Viking in October. It has been selected a Buzz Book by Publishers Marketplace.

He teaches classical mythology and creative writing at Oregon State University.

John's Featured Titles

The Ancients: A Reading

Join John Larison as he reads from his newest novel and shares the fascinating story of how this singular book came to be.

The Case for Climate Optimism

In an era of climate change, we are regularly bombarded with news of environmental collapse. But what if “collapse” is only half of the story? Join John Larison, author of The Ancients, as he deconstructs the “collapse” narrative to reveal new, ecologically grounded reasons for climate optimism.

Why Technology Will Never Save Us from the Climate Crisis

Electric cars, hydrogen power, engineered food–societies around the world are reaching to new technologies to solve the climate crisis. But what if technology, by definition, is incapable of solving a problem like climate change? Join John Larison, author of The Ancients, as argues against a technological solution to the climate crisis and instead makes a case for empirically-supported solutions that are already within reach.

Can Books Make Us Better Neighbors, Lovers, and Friends?

What can literature teach us about forging deeper bonds with the people in our lives? Join novelist John Larison, author of The Ancients, as he explores what the art of writing (and reading) fiction reveal about forging more meaningful interpersonal bonds.

The How is the Shape of the What

What can the process of writing literature teach us about excelling in our personal and professional lives? Join John Larison, author of The Ancients, as he explores the creative writing process and its intersections with personal and creative success.

Embracing the Mystery of Our Characters

Fiction-writing textbooks often include a variation on the idea of “know thy characters.” But what if this advice directly undercuts our ability to bring our characters to life on the page? Join novelist John Larison for an exploration into the contradictions at the heart of effective characterization.

Whiskey When We're Dry: A Reading

Join John Larison as he reads from his beloved Western and shares the real life story behind this bestselling work of fiction.

Bank Robberies, White Cowboys, and Other Lies the Western Genre Taught Us

Most Americans don’t read or watch Westerns anymore, and yet our collective vision of the American West and its history continues to be shaped by the tropes of the genre. The fictionalization of this core chapter of American history continues to empower White supremacists and fuel an especially toxic form of American masculinity. Join novelist John Larison for this shocking look at the truth behind the genre.

Reframing the Climate Crisis

What happens to our conception of the climate crisis–and its solutions–when we view climate change through a deep-time context? Join John Larison, author of The Ancients, as he tells the million year-old story of human beings surviving catastrophic climate events.

The Collapse of the Bronze Age and the Birth of Greek Myth

Can ancient Greek myths like The Iliad and The Odyssey be read as windows on the historic collapse of the Mediterranean world at the end of the bronze age? If so, what lessons can these texts offer about why civilizations collapse and how their societies recover? Join novelist and university lecturer John Larison for this fascinating look at ancient history and two foundational works of Western Civilization.

“Larison has developed a pitch-perfect voice for his intrepid heroine.” — Publishers Weekly

“Like Philipp Meyer’s The Son or Robert Olmstead’s Savage Country, Whiskey When We’re Dry draws on Larison’s own experiences with the “cowboy arts” to paint a vivid portrait of the American West as witnessed by an unforgettable character.” — BookPage

“Larison gifts Jess with a strong voice to narrate her own story…his western epic has wide appeal.” — Booklist

“An evocative portrait of the old west with all its grittiness and all its openness.” — The Roundtable

“[A] sweeping saga… John Larison’s new book plunges readers into the American West while simultaneously reimagining the mythic frontier. It examines issues of gender and race through the story of 17-year-old Jesse Harney and begins in the spring of 1885, when she dresses in men’s clothes, mounts her horse, and sets out west in search of her big brother, an outlaw on the frontier.” — Southern Living

John’s Events Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Whiskey When We’re Dry
Indie Next Pick for Sept 2018 and July 2019
Los Angeles Times and Seattle Times Bestseller
Named Book of the Month, July 2019 —The Times (United Kingdom)
Named a Book of the Year for 2019 —BBC History Magazine
Named a Best Book by Entertainment Weekly, O Magazine, Goodreads, Southern Living, Outside Magazine, Parade, Fodor’s Travel, Sioux City Journal, Read it Forward, Medium.com, and others.
Featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Selected a Best Book of the Year by Powell’s
Finalist for the Ken Kesey Award
Winner of the Will Rodgers Medallion
Finalist for the HWA Gold Crown Award (UK)

Media clips

Oregon State University | John Larison and his long writing journey

KBOO | Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison

HCN | An outsider endures violence and redemption in the Wild West

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.