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Craig Lancaster
American writer and journalist (born 1970) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Craig Lancaster (born February 9, 1970) is an American author, playwright, and journalist, best known for his novels 600 Hours of Edward, its sequel, Edward Adrift, and The Summer Son.[1][2][3] His other notable works include a short story collection as well as numerous articles and essays produced during his career as a newspaper writer and editor.[2][4][5] The author, a two-time High Plains Book Awards winner, was lauded as "one of Montana's most important writers."[2][3][6]
Lancaster's works are set against the backdrop of the contemporary American West, specifically Montana, where he lives and writes.[3][6][7] His prose has been described as deeply emotional and deceptively direct,[8] centering on intense characters who navigate obstacles and relationships in ways that are simultaneously humorous and poignant.[3][9][10][11] His literary influences include Hemingway, Steinbeck, Stegner, and Doig.[7][11][12]
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Biography
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Craig Lancaster was born in Lakewood, Washington, on February 9, 1970. He was adopted by a Wyoming couple who met in Billings, Montana, where he would eventually settle and launch his career as a novelist.[12][13] After his parents divorced in the early 1970s, his mother remarried and moved Craig to suburban Fort Worth, Texas.[6]
His step-father, a longtime sportswriter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, had a tremendous impact on Lancaster's formative years by encouraging his early interest in writing.[12][13][14][15] Lancaster's fascination with the "Western identity" was also rooted in his childhood, as he traveled extensively during summer vacations to visit his father, who followed work in Western oil fields.[6][12] Lancaster describes his early memories of Montana as "vast, beautiful, [and] overwhelming," and knew that he "wanted to be a part of it."[6][7][12]
Lancaster attended the University of Texas at Arlington, and subsequently made his foray into "The West" of his early imagination via a series of journalistic assignments that led him from Texas to Alaska, Kentucky, Ohio, California, Washington, and eventually, Montana.[4][12][13] In 2006, Lancaster moved to Montana, where he married and subsequently divorced in 2015.[13] Lancaster married fellow novelist Elisa Lorello in 2016.[16] His work as a writer and editor has appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, San Jose Mercury News, Billings Gazette, and Magic City Magazine.[3][4][5][17] He also serves as design director of Montana Quarterly, in addition to being a frequent contributor.[3]
In October and November 2023, Yellowstone Repertory Theatre, a professional troupe in Billings, Montana, staged the world premiere production of Lancaster’s first full-length play, Straight On To Stardust. The play was hailed as “very smart and deeply moving.”[18]
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Major works
Novels
- 600 Hours of Edward (Riverbend Publishing, 2009)[6][12]
- The Summer Son (Lake Union Publishing, 2011)[6][14]
- Edward Adrift (Lake Union Publishing, 2013)[2][17]
- The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter (Lake Union Publishing, 2014)[19]
- This Is What I Want (Lake Union Publishing, 2015)[20]
- Edward Unspooled (Missouri Breaks Press, 2016)[21][22]
- Julep Street (Missouri Breaks Press, 2017)[23][24]
- You, Me, & Mr. Blue Sky, co-author with Elisa Lorello (Lancarello Enterprises, 2019)[25]
- And It Will Be a Beautiful Life (2021, The Story Plant)[26]
Short stories
Nonfiction
Plays
- Straight On To Stardust (world premiere in 2023)
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Awards and recognition
- 2009 Montana Honor Book, 600 Hours of Edward[3][10][30]
- 2010 High Plains Book Awards "Best First Book," 600 Hours of Edward[10][31][32]
- 2010 Utah Book Award Finalist, The Summer Son[3][33]
- 2012 Independent Publishers Book Award, Gold Medal, "Best Regional Fiction," Quantum Physics and The Art of Departure[3][9][34]
- 2012 High Plains Book Awards Finalist, Quantum Physics and The Art of Departure[3][35]
- 2014 Kindle First Selection, The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter[19]
- 2016 High Plains Book Award Fiction Finalist, This Is What I Want[36]
- 2017 International Book Awards Finalist, Edward Unspooled[37]
- 2022 American Fiction Awards Winner, "Literary Fiction," And It Will Be a Beautiful Life[38]
- 2022 2022 High Plains Book Awards Winner, "Fiction," And It Will Be a Beautiful Life[39]
References
External links
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