William J. (William Joseph) Long

William Joseph Long was an American writer, naturalist, and minister, born on April 3, 1867. He served in Stamford, Connecticut, as minister of the First Congregational Church while building a wide readership through books about wildlife and the outdoors.

He became known for popular nature titles such as Ways of the Wood Folk, Wilderness Ways, School of the Woods, and Secrets of the Woods. Publishers and library-style author pages describe him as the author of more than 20 books, and his work helped bring nature writing to a broad general audience.

Long's writing often aimed to make animal life feel immediate and personal, which won him many readers and also placed him in the early-20th-century "nature fakers" controversy over how animals should be portrayed in literature. Even so, his books remain notable for their warmth, narrative energy, and enduring love of the natural world.