Carol Lynch Williams | |
---|---|
Born | 1959 (age 63–64) Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Novelist |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | Vermont College of Fine Arts |
Academic work | |
Institutions | Brigham Young University |
Carol Lynch Williams is an author of Young Adult and Middle Grade novels. As of 2016,Williams is the conference director for Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR) conference [1] and is a professor of creative writing at Brigham Young University (BYU). [2] She graduated in 2008 from Vermont College of Fine Arts with a degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults. [3] [4]
Williams has six daughters and a son. Williams grew up in Florida but currently lives in Utah. [5]
Williams read as part of the English Department reading series in the fall of 2008. John Bennion noted about that her characters "return love for cruelty." [6] Williams' characters have to deal with abuse,aging,death,suicide,and other difficult challenges,yet rise above all of these difficulties. Bennion remarked,"we identify with her young women adults because they come out independent,relying on themselves." [7] Williams' work has also been praised as "Intensely gripping and grippingly intense", [8] "absorbing", [9] "outstanding", [10] and "stunning,gut-punching,heart-wrenching,heart-healing." [11]
A complete list of Williams' awards can be found on her blog.
Mormon fiction is generally fiction by or about members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,who are also referred to as Latter-day Saints or Mormons. Its history is commonly divided into four sections as first organized by Eugene England:foundations,home literature,the "lost" generation,and faithful realism. During the first fifty years of the church's existence,1830–1880,fiction was not popular,though Parley P. Pratt wrote a fictional Dialogue between Joseph Smith and the Devil. With the emergence of the novel and short stories as popular reading material,Orson F. Whitney called on fellow members to write inspirational stories. During this "home literature" movement,church-published magazines published many didactic stories and Nephi Anderson wrote the novel Added Upon. The generation of writers after the home literature movement produced fiction that was recognized nationally but was seen as rebelling against home literature's outward moralization. Vardis Fisher's Children of God and Maurine Whipple's The Giant Joshua were prominent novels from this time period. In the 1970s and 1980s,authors started writing realistic fiction as faithful members of the LDS Church. Acclaimed examples include Levi S. Peterson's The Backslider and Linda Sillitoe's Sideways to the Sun. Home literature experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s when church-owned Deseret Book started to publish more fiction,including Gerald Lund's historical fiction series The Work and the Glory and Jack Weyland's novels.
Shannon Hale is an American author primarily of young adult fantasy,including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and The Goose Girl. Her first novel for adults,Austenland,was adapted into a film in 2013. She is a graduate of the University of Utah and the University of Montana. She has also co-written with her husband,Dean.
Brandon Winn Sanderson is an American author of high fantasy and science fiction. He is best known for the Cosmere fictional universe,in which most of his fantasy novels,most notably the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive,are set. Outside of the Cosmere,he has written several young adult and juvenile series including The Reckoners,the Skyward series,and the Alcatraz series. He is also known for finishing Robert Jordan's high fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Sanderson has created several graphic novel fantasy series,including White Sand and Dark One.
Pam Muñoz Ryan is an American writer for children and young adults,particularly in the Multicultural genre.
Marcus Sedgwick was a British writer and illustrator. He authored several young adult and children's books and picture books,a work of nonfiction and several novels for adults,and illustrated a collection of myths and a book of folk tales for adults. According to School Library Journal his "most acclaimed titles" were those for young adults.
Dean Hughes is an American author of historical novels and children's books. He has written 105 books as well as various poems and short stories. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,Hughes is a prominent author of LDS fiction for children and juveniles. Many of Hughes's books are sports or war themed. Hughes is most well known for his historical World War II era Children of the Promise series for adults. His novel Midway to Heaven was adapted into a feature-length film in 2011. Before he became a full-time author,Hughes taught English at Central Missouri State University. He taught creative writing at Brigham Young University.
Princess Academy is a fantasy novel exploring themes of families,relationships,and education by Shannon Hale published on June 16,2005,by Bloomsbury. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old Miri who attends a princess academy that will determine who wins the hand of the prince. The book was named a 2006 Newbery Honor winner as well as a New York Times Bestseller. It is the first in the Princess Academy series,followed by Princess Academy:Palace of Stone and Princess Academy:The Forgotten Sisters.
Douglas H. Thayer was a prominent author in the "faithful realism" movement of Mormon fiction. He has been called the "Mormon Hemingway" for his straightforward style and powerful prose. Eugene England called him the "father of contemporary Mormon fiction."
Brigham Young University Press was the university press of Brigham Young University (BYU).
The Association for Mormon Letters (AML) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 to "foster scholarly and creative work in Mormon letters and to promote fellowship among scholars and writers of Mormon literature." Other stated purposes have included promoting the "production and study of Mormon literature" and the encouragement of quality writing "by,for,and about Mormons." The broadness of this definition of LDS literature has led the AML to focus on a wide variety of work that has sometimes been neglected in the Mormon community. It publishes criticism on such writing,hosts an annual conference,and offers awards to works of fiction,poetry,essay,criticism,drama,film,and other genres. It published the literary journal Irreantum from 1999 to 2013 and currently publishes an online-only version of the journal,which began in 2018. The AML's blog,Dawning of a Brighter Day, launched in 2009. As of 2012,the association also promotes LDS literature through the use of social media. The AML has been described as an "influential proponent of Mormon literary fiction."
The AML Awards are given annually by the Association for Mormon Letters (AML) to the best work "by,for,and about Mormons." They are juried awards,chosen by a panel of judges. Citations for many of the awards can be found on the AML website.
Benson Young Parkinson is a Latter-day Saint novelist,literary critic,and biographer. He has published two novels concerning fictional LDS missionaries,entitled The MTC:Set Apart and Into the Field,as well as a biography of S. Dilworth Young,an LDS general authority. In the mid-1990s he became involved in the Association for Mormon Letters (AML),primarily by creating an email forum for the discussion of LDS literature called AML-List,for which he was awarded the 2000 AML Award for Criticism. Parkinson then co-founded the literary journal Irreantum and served as co-editor for a year. His criticism of LDS literature has been featured in multiple publications. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University.
Christopher Everett Crowe is an American professor of English and English education at Brigham Young University (BYU) specializing in young adult literature. In addition to his academic work,Crowe also writes books for the young-adult market,including Mississippi Trial,1955.
Jeffrey Scott Savage is an American author of fantasy,horror,mystery,and suspense. As of 2020,he has published 19 novels,including the FarWorld fantasy series,the Case File 13 series,the Mysteries of Cove series,and the Shandra Covington series,as well as several stand-alone titles. Savage was born and raised in northern California and studied computer science at Sierra College and West Valley College in California and Utah Valley University in Utah. He worked in the software industry before deciding to write full-time. He writes middle grade and young adult fiction under the pen name J. Scott Savage and works intended for adult readers as Jeffrey S. Savage. He won the 2013 Whitney Award for Best Speculative Novel for Dark Memories.
Daniel Andrew Wells is an American horror and science fiction author. Wells's first published novel,I Am Not a Serial Killer,was adapted into a movie in 2016.
Allyson Braithwaite Condie is an author of young adult and middle grade fiction. Her novel Matched was a #1 New York Times and international bestseller,and spent over a year on the New York Times Bestseller List. The sequels are also New York Times bestsellers. Matched was chosen as one of YALSA's 2011 Teens' Top Ten and named as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010. All three books are available in 30+ languages.
Jessica Day George is an American author who lives in Utah. She is a New York Times bestselling author of Young Adult fantasy novels,and she received the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Book by a New Author for Dragon Slippers. Having attended Brigham Young University (BYU),George is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.
Charlie Nicholes Holmberg is an American fantasy author best known for The Paper Magician series. She is from Salt Lake City,Utah,and graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in English in 2010. Her first novel,The Paper Magician,was released in 2014. Holmberg expanded the book into a series,the film rights for which were purchased by Disney in 2016. In addition to her other book series,Holmberg has published five standalone novels. One of these,The Fifth Doll,won the 2017 Whitney Award for Speculative Fiction. Many of her other works have been nominated for literary awards as well. In addition to writing,Holmberg cohosts the podcast Your Mom Writes Books.
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