Olympia Vernon
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| Olympia Vernon | |
|---|---|
 Olympia Vernon (circa 2006) |
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| Born | May 22, 1973 Bogalusa, Louisiana |
| Occupation | novelist |
Olympia Vernon (born May 22, 1973) is an African-American author who has published three novels: Eden (2002), Logic (2004), and A Killing In This Town (2006). Eden was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and won the 2004 Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award from The American Academy of Arts and Letters.[1] Vernon was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana and grew up in Mt. Hermon, Louisiana and Osyka, Mississippi.[1] The family had seven children. Her father, Fletcher Williams, Jr. graduated from the University of Mississippi. Vernon attended South Pike High School in Magnolia, Mississippi. Olympia received a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1999.[1] She also earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Louisiana State University in 2002.[1]
She wrote Eden while in graduate school. In 2005 she received the Louisiana Governor's Award for Professional Artist of the Year. Currently Vernon is Hallie Ford Chair in Writing at Willamette University.[1] In 2007, she won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence for A Killing In This Town.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Langley, Greg. Olympia Vernon is winner of inaugural Gaines Award. The Advocate, December 9, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Novelist Named Writer-in-Residence at Southeastern. News Release. Retrieved on 2006-04-28.
- Author Bio. A Killing in This Town. Retrieved on 2006-04-28.
- Olympia Vernon Reads at Friends of the Library Event. News Release. Retrieved on 2006-09-27.
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