Don Berry

Born in 1932, he became known as an American author and artist whose most celebrated books were set in the Oregon Country. Sources consistently highlight his trilogy of historical novels—Trask (1960), Moontrap (1962), and To Build a Ship (1963)—with Moontrap noted as a National Book Award nominee.

He studied at Reed College in Portland and was closely associated with Oregon’s literary world, even though he was born in Minnesota. Accounts of his life also describe a wide range of artistic interests beyond fiction, including painting and music, which helps explain the restless, individual spirit readers often notice in his work.

He died in 2001. Remembered as both a novelist and a visual artist, he has kept a lasting place in Oregon literary history for stories that explore the early Northwest with grit, intelligence, and a strong feeling for landscape.