William Tanner Vollmann (born July 28, 1959 in Los Angeles, California) is an American novelist, journalist, short story writer, essayist and winner of the National Book Award. He lives in Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughter.
Vollmann studied at Deep Springs College, then earned a B.A., summa cum laude, in comparative literature at Cornell University.
In his youth, Vollmann's younger sister drowned while under his supervision, a tr...
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William Tanner Vollmann (born July 28, 1959 in Los Angeles, California) is an American novelist, journalist, short story writer, essayist and winner of the National Book Award. He lives in Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughter.
Vollmann studied at Deep Springs College, then earned a B.A., summa cum laude, in comparative literature at Cornell University.
In his youth, Vollmann's younger sister drowned while under his supervision, a tragedy for which he felt responsible. This experience, according to him, influences much of his work.
After graduation, Vollmann went on to the University of California, Berkeley, on a fellowship for a doctoral program in Comparative Literature. He dropped out after one year with the intention of engaging in life instead of just studying. He worked odd jobs, including as a secretary at an insurance company, and saved up enough money to go to Afghanistan in 1982. His experiences traveling with the mujahideen formed the basis of his first non...
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