William Nichols grew up near the land in Oregon where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-06, not far from the Fox Creek forest. In addition to nonfiction about the Expedition, he has published essays about slave narratives and Native American folklore. His novel FLEEING OHIO (2010) tells of a daring escape from a modern "supermax" prison, an escape that follows the Lewis and Clark Trail to Fox Creek. YORK'S JOURNAL: A NOVEL (2005) is the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition told by the only slave to accompany the Corps of Discovery.