2026 Laxalt Distinguished Writer: Sierra Crane Murdoch

About this event

The University of Nevada, Reno Reynolds School of Journalism is pleased to announce Sierra Crane Murdoch as the 2026 Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer. An award-winning author, Murdoch will be recognized as this year’s Laxalt Distinguished Writer and present her talk “It Matters Who is Telling the Story" on Wednesday, November 4th at 6 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Auditorium.

ABOUT SIERRA CRANE MURDOCH

Sierra Crane Murdoch is the author of Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country , which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the winner of an Oregon Book Award, and named one of the 100 Notable Books of 2020 by The New York Times . Her reporting and essays have appeared on This American Life and in Harper’s , as well as in VQR , The Paris Review , The New Yorker online, The Atlantic , and others. Her second book, Imaginary Brightness: Trials of American Innocence, is forthcoming from Random House in September of 2027.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Robert Laxalt Distinguished Writer Program was established posthumously in 2001 to inspire new generations of writers in honor of Laxalt, who developed from news reporter to fiction and nonfiction author during his prolific career. Considered by many to be Nevada’s finest writer, Laxalt founded the University of Nevada Press and wrote 17 books, four of which were entered for the Pulitzer Prize. He also wrote for National Geographic and served as a professor in the Reynolds School for 18 years, teaching magazine writing and literary journalism.

PARKING & ACCOMODATIONS

Free parking will be available for attendees in the Whalen Parking Complex. If you require reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please contact Lila Reeves-Hampton at lreeveshampton@unr.edu .