I am a composer. I am also a Quaker, an activist, a husband, a father, and a grandfather, and have been, at various times in the past, an environmental writer, a public-interest lobbyist, and a librarian. I have been driving at least partially electric since 2001, and completely electric since 2019, so I also know a bit about electric cars.

As a writer, I specialized in issues around water, with two books on the Great Lakes, a book on the Ogallala Aquifer, a book about the battle to keep dams out of Hells Canyon, and a book on American water problems in general. I have also published a couple of photo studies of wildlife (with photographer Art Wolfe); a mountain-climbing memoir; a massive encyclopedia of environmental terminology; and books on a variety of other environmentally-related subjects, from field mouse irruptions to resource economics to ways to live sustainably on this planet. (Oh, and there’s also an alternate-worlds fantasy novel out there, aimed at early teen readers, that emphasizes the importance of friendship even with people you may not necessarily like.)

As an activist, I was one of the founders of the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club; lobbied on water and wilderness issues on behalf of the Club in Washington DC; and led the campaign to establish the Red Buttes Wilderness on the Oregon/California border. As a librarian, I occupied a seat behind the reference desk of the Ashland (Oregon) Public Library for eighteen years. I hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, with minors in mathematics (undergraduate) and anthropology (graduate), and was a founding member of the Southern Oregon Chapter of the National Association of Composers-USA, (NACUSAsor), serving as its president for seven years. Honors that have come my way include an Oregon Book Award (1999); a Kansas Notable Book Award (2006); a national award from the Colonial Dames of America “in recognition of a notable contribution to the documentation of life in the United States of America” (1987); and the Holly Jones Award from the Sierra Club’s Oregon chapter, for activities on behalf of Oregon wilderness (1988). I’ve been a finalist for the American Prize in chamber music composition (five times) and an honorable-mention honoree for the Charles Ives Award in vocal chamber music composition (once). I’ve been married to Melody (James) Ashworth since 1967: we have two daughters of our own, two “chosen daughters” (permanent foster daughters), and four adult grandchildren. Principal activities that Melody and I enjoy together include music, hiking, photography, international folk dancing, and wildflower identification. Trivia: I once beat the reigning Oregon state chess champion in a pick-up game. For more about my work, please see my professional website: you’ll find it at http://www.williamashworth.net/.