An Outside Conversation with ‘Wild’ Author Cheryl Strayed

This March marks the tenth anniversary of the publication of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, arguably the most popular and influential book about the outdoors in recent history. The classic memoir recounts Strayed’s 1995 thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in the wake of the crushing loss of her mother. It was the inaugural pick for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 and went on to sell more than five million copies worldwide. In 2014, the Hollywood adaptation hit theaters starring Reese Witherspoon.

As Outside Book Club host Elizabeth Hightower Allen wrote when introducing Wild as our March 2022 pick, the book “changed not just the literature of the outdoors but the outdoors itself.” It inspired a bigger, more diverse group of people to try something bold and prompted a surge of thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. To understand the enduring impact of Wild, we are hosting a live Zoom Q and A with Cheryl Strayed on Tuesday, April 5, at 6 p.m. Mountain Time—and we want you to join us. Allen will be moderating, but you’ll have opportunities to ask Strayed your own questions.

This conversation is open to anyone, whether or not you are an Outside+ member. But you do need to register for the Zoom event by clicking the button below. In the meantime, you can read the story in our sister publication Backpacker on the effect Wild has had on the PCT and order a copy of the book here. (Note that if you purchase through this link, you’ll be generating a small commission for Outside in addition to supporting independent bookstores—you can read more about our affiliate policy here.)

Register for the Q&A Here