isserman's latest book earns a pulitzer nod

It's not every day that a Hamilton College professor is nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Literature. Meet Maurice Isserman, Professor of History, the author of several books, including his most recent multi-award-winning and Pulitzer Prize nominated Fallen Giants, co-authored by Stewart Weaver. Fallen Giants, a work that critics say fills a long-existent niche in mountaineering literature, traces the history of Himalayan mountaineering. According to Isserman, he and Weaver "hoped to appeal to both mountaineers and armchair mountaineers" by "[updating] the story...and [writing] a history of mountaineering "from the bottom up'" to "explore the political, cultural, and social forces that shaped Himalayan mountaineering in any given era."

Not an easy feat. Fallen Giants "is not the kind of book that could have been researched from the Hamilton College library. We had to travel to archives all over the world," says Isserman. To expedite the writing process, Isserman and Weaver combined and balanced their talents and styles. Stewart is an expert on British history, says Isserman. Thus, he took responsibility for writing the early chapters of the book, which are primarily if not exclusively concerned with initial British attempts to climb Everest and other Himalayan giants, up through 1950: "I picked up the story at the start of the 1940s, and continued with it through the 1990s, where we ended our account. We passed the chapters back and forth to smooth out differences in style, emphasis, and interpretation. I think we worked well as a team, though careful readers will note the change in authorial voice that occurs between chapters five and six," states Isserman. Either way, both critics and lay-people continue to be drawn to Fallen Giants like iron to a magnet...or mountaineering aficionados to the Himalayas.

As a freshman at Reed College in Oregon during 1968, Isserman probably never dreamed of one day exploring the dense libraries of India, Britain, or Germany for fodder for his would-be critically acclaimed book almost 40 years later. His college experience out-west did ignite Isserman's interest in the majestic landscape that is integral to his current authorial success. Isserman explains, "[In Oregon] I saw these beautiful snow-capped volcanoes on the horizon (Mt. Hood, Mt. Saint Helens, Mt. Adams), and was instantly smitten. Over the next few years I climbed all of them—and many others besides—and also become a devoted reader of mountaineering literature.” In the seventies, Isserman went back East to go to graduate school, but he didn’t forget his eperiences in Oregon. So in 2001, Isserman decided to write Fallen Giants. He says that he considers the decision as “getting back in touch with my inner Oregonian."

Isserman's interest in and knowledge of mountaineering has impacted both him and his students. In his class on Adventure Writing, students write about their own experiences climbing and canoeing in the Adirondacks. Isserman wants to pass on his knowledge and may even teach a class on the history of mountaineering.

There's no stopping Maurice Isserman, Renaissance man and self-proclaimed "historian, writer—and teacher," whose passion and energy both imparts knowledge on and inspires his students: true and would-be Oregonians alike.

-jennifer vano '09