Shannon Huffman Polson's Biography

Polson lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest. Her first book, a memoir entitled North of Hope, is due out in Spring 2013 (Zondervan/Harper Collins). She is anthologized in Be There Now: Travel Stories From Around the World and More Than 85Broads, and her work has appeared in High Country News, and Seattle and Alaska Magazines, among others.

Polson graduated with a B.A. from Duke University in English Literature, an M.B.A. from the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and an M.F.A. from Seattle Pacific University. She served eight years as an attack helicopter pilot in the Army and worked five years in corporate marketing and management roles before turning to writing full time.

Polson serves on the board of the Alaska Wilderness League and sings with the critically acclaimed Seattle Pro Musica. Polson has scuba dived, sky dived and climbed around the world, including ascents of Denali and Kilimanjaro, and completed two Ironman triathlons. She and her family enjoy backpacking, any kind of skiing, paddling, and spending as much time outdoors as they can in the Western states and Alaska. In September 2009, Polson was awarded the Trailblazer Woman of Valor award from Washington State Senator Maria Cantwell.