What are Krakauer's credentials for writing Into the Wild?

• A. He had written a feature article on Chris for Outside magazine and conducted extensive research.
• B. He was a former park ranger with field experience.
• C. He wrote only fiction novels.
• D. He was a professor with no prior work on Chris.

Answer: (A)

Author qualifications for a nonfiction work hinge on prior reporting and thorough research. Krakauer’s credibility for Into the Wild comes from having already written a feature on Chris McCandless for Outside magazine and then conducting extensive, multi-source research to build the full story. This shows he engaged directly with the subject, drew on interviews with people who knew Chris, examined documents and timelines, and checked facts to present a nuanced account. He is not simply a former park ranger, a fiction writer, or a professor with no prior work on Chris, so those options don’t fit. His established journalistic approach to the subject explains why he is regarded as the right person to tell this story.