Biography

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Fiction

Art

Poetry

Steven Sherrill, associate professor of English and Integrative Arts, writes, paints, teaches, and struggles with his banjo, at Penn State Altoona. After receiving a Welding Diploma from Mitchell Community College (and the passing of a considerable amount of time) he went on to earn an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Fiction in 2002. His first novel, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, is translated into 9 languages. His second novel, Visits From the Drowned Girl, published by Random House, US and Canongate, UK was released in June of 2004, and was nominated by Random House for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. The Locktender’s House, novel #3, is due out in Spring 2008.

Vita                                                       Back to Biography

 Creative Accomplishments:

National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction, 2002.

 Independent Bookseller’s Association Book of the Year Finalist: Visionary Fiction, for The Minotaur TakesCigarette       Break.  May 2001.

      Forward Magazine Book of the Year Finalist: Literary Fiction, for The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break.  May 2001.

   Purchase Request.  Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. Feb. 1, 2001   

 Individual Show: Sheetz & McClannahan Galleries. Penn State Altoona. Januaray-February 2001

Honorable Mention SAMA/Art in Common Juried Art Show. Aug. 2000

    Book Sense 76 Nomination for The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break. June 2, 2000
  
Dewitt Walace/Reader’s Digest Fellow: The MacDowell Colony. September-October, 1995.

Fiction:

The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break. A Novel. John F. Blair, Publishers.  Winston-Salem, NC.

March 2000.

“Greenville.”  Mid-American Review.  Fiction Editor, Rebecca Meacham.  Spring 1997

“Excerpts From The Field Guide.”  Nebo. Editor, Michael Booty.  Spring 1996.

“The First Stag Party.”  Nebo: Short Short Fiction.  Editor, Michale Booty. Fall 1995

“Death is a Most Persistant Animal.”  ACM: Another Chicago Magazine.  Fiction Editor, Sharon Solwitz.

Volume 24 (Fall 1992): 153-157.

“The Cleansing Nature of Crisis.”  Painted Bride Quarterly.  Editor, Teresa Leo. Spring 1992

“Long Days Under Broad Green Leaves.”  Jabberwocky. Editor, Jeff VanderMeer. Summer 1989.

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 Poetry:

“It Was Always Cold.”  The Florida Review.  Poetry Editor, Tom George. Fall/Winter 1989

“The Potter I am Not.”  The Crucible.  Editor, Terrance Grimes.  Volume 26 (Fall 1990): 60.

“A Place To Sit and Talk”  The Savior You Can’t Help.”  Mudfish.  Editor, Jill Hoffman. (1991)

“Where I’m From the Holy Spirit”  Nude Model Fesses Up.”  Mudfish.  1993

“The Sleep of Barabbas.”  The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review.  Editor, Larry Richman. Fall 1993

   “Lament of the Sheet Metal Worker.”  The Plum Review.  Editor, Christina Daub. Winter 1993

“Fiddle Player Dreams of Skinks.”  Hayden’s Ferry Review.  Poetry Editor,  Jan Selving. Fall 1993

“Estate Sale, Late October.”  The Seattle Review.  Poetry Editor, Colleen McElroy.Spring 1994

“Hymn For Granite.”  The Georgia Review.  Editor, Stephen Corey. Summer 1994.

“What I Imagine is Your Laughter.”  Green Fuse: Poems of Ecology & Dissent.  Editor, Brian Boldt.

Number 21 (Fall/Winter 1994-95): 37.

“In FryCook’s World.” Slipstream. Editor, Dan Sicoli. Number 15 (Summer 1995): 9.

“The History of String”  The History of String, 2.” Artful Dodge.  Editor, Daniel Bourne. Fall 1995

“Katyn Forest.” ACM: Another Chicago Magazine. Editor, Barry Silesky. Fall/Winter         1995

“Fiddle Player Infiltrates the Nativity Scene.”  Terrapin: The Maverick Press.  Editor, Carol Culler.

 Volume 8 (Fall 1995): 43.

“My Brother Named and Unnamed” “un-process-ed: An Essay.”  Farmer’s Market. Editor, Joanne Lowery.  Volume 13, Number 2 (Fall/Winter 1996): 47-52, 53-57.

“The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break.”  Santa Barbara Review. Editor, Patricia S. Leddy. Summer 1996

“Katyn Forest.” Best American Poetry 1997.  Chosen by Guest Editor, James Tate.  Series Editor,

David Lehman. September 1997

“At The Shore of the Great Lake Michigan I Come Upon the Feet of Egon Schiele in the Moonlight.” 

The Midwestern Quarterly. Editor, Stephen Meats. Fall 1997.

“Ghost of a Pig Notes the Errata.”   Sun Dog: The Southeast Review.  Editor, Ron Wiginton. Fall 1997.

“Mosaic” “Psalm of the Malcontent.”  Black Warrior Review. Editor, Mindy Wilson.  Spring/Summer 1997

“Poem for Maxwell Street” “Real Estate.” Columbia Poetry Review. Editor, Paul Hoover. Fall 1998

“What They Know About Love” “Manifesto.” The Kenyon Review. Editor, David H. Lynn. Winter 1999

"Pamlico Sound."  Red Brick Review. Editor,  Sean Thomas Dougherty.  Fall 1999.

“Seiche.” River Styx. Spring 2000

“Explication of the Rebus.” The Sonora Review. Spring 2000

“An Example of Pentameter.” Literal Latte. Forthcoming.

“First Elegy For Topsy The Elephant.” Rattle: Poetry for the 21^st Century. Forthcoming.

Visual Art:

      “Bull,”  Cover Art for The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break.  March 2000

 “The Act, Part I”  “The Act, Part II.”  Two paintings. Cutbank 50.   Arden Hendrie, Editor. Fall 1998

 Readings/Workshops Led/Speaking Engagements

 Publication Party & Reading. Borders Books. Deerfield, IL. March 5, 2000

Reading & Book Signing. Books On Vernon. Wilmete, IL. March 19, 2000

Reading & Workshop Leader. Elgin Community College. Elgin, IL. March 25, 2000

Reading. Elgin Public Library. Elgin, IL. March 25, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Borders Books.  Naperville, IL. May 13, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Barnes & Noble. Deerfield, IL. May 16, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Borders Books.  Wilmette, IL. May 20, 2000

Panel Participant. University of Chicago Graham School. “Publishing Your Work.” 

June 10, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Bristol Books.  Wilmington, NC. June 12, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Chapter Two Books.  Charleston, SC. June 13, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  (?)  Columbia, SC. June 14, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  (?) Greenville, SC. June 15, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Barnes & Noble.  June 16, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Little Professor Books.  Cornelius, NC. June 17, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Hemingway’s Books. Blowing Rock, NC. June 19, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  (?) Asheville, NC. June ?, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Cantos Bookstore.  Roanoke, VA. June 20, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Borders Books.  Greensboro, NC. June 22, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  The Regulator Bookshop.  Durham, NC. June 23, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Waldenbooks.  Southern Pines, NC. June 24, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Barnes & Noble.  Winston Salem, NC. June ?, 2000

Reading & Book Signing.  Quail Ridge Books. Raleigh, NC.  June 25, 2000

Reading. Mid-South Booksellers Association, New Orleans – September 10, 2000.

Reading & Book Signing. /Broadcast Live on Iowa Public Radio; Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City. – September 1, 2000

Reader/Workshop Leader: Illinois Valley Community College.  October 14, 2000.

Reading & Discussion. Town House Books. St. Charles, IL. October 15, 2000          

Reader/Workshop Leader. Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC. 

March 25-26, 2001

Reader/Workshop Leader. Durham Tech Community College, Durham, NC.

March  27, 2001

Associated Writing Programs, Annual Conference. Teaching Pedagogy Participant.

April 2001

Guest Author. ENGL 4??, Romance & Realism. Penn State Altoona. April 2001

Instructor, Iowa Summer Writing Festival. Week-long course in the Novel. 

June 9-15, 2001

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Outreach

The Codified Image: A Poetry Reading by Penn State Altoona ENGL 413 Students at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. Poems written in response to hanging show of Abstract Expressionist art.  February 2001.

Organization & Follow Through of Trepung Dehor Tibetan Monksvisit and the Sand Mandala Ceremony. Fall 2000

Last Updated: 03/27/08    Copyright © Deblar Inc.