Emma Lou Thayne

Emma Lou Warner Thayne (October 22, 1924 – December 6, 2014) was a poet and novelist. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and counted as one of the 75 most significant Mormon poets.^[1]

Thayne graduated from the University of Utah in 1945. She would later return there to coach tennis and teach English. In the late 1960s, she completed a master's degree at the University of Utah. She was on the faculty over 30 years.^[2] In 1949, she married Mel Thayne; they became the parents of five daughters.

Although Thayne worked primarily as a poet, she also wrote novels. Her first novel was Never Past the Gate, which was inspired by her summers growing up in Mount Aire Canyon.^[3] Thayne also served on the board of directors for Deseret News.^[3] She was also a contributor to such magazines as Network, a woman's magazine based in Salt Lake City, Exponent II and Utah Holiday. At age 90, she died in Salt Lake City on December 6, 2014.^[4][5]

Thayne wrote the words to the hymn "Where Can I Turn for Peace?".^[6]

Awards

• Distinguished Alumna, University of Utah
• David O. McKay Humanities Award, Brigham Young University
• Chamber of Commerce Honors in the Arts Award^[7]
• Gandhi Peace Award, 2013^[8]

Salt Lake Community college named the Emma Lou Thayne Center for Service Learning after Thayne to honor her.^[7]

Works

• Spaces in the Sage (1971) — poetry collection
• On Slim Unaccountable Bones: Poems (1974) — novel
• Never Past the Gate (1975) — novel
• With Love, Mother (1975) — poetry collection
• A Woman's Place (1977) — novel
• Until Another Day for Butterflies (1978) — poetry collection
• Once in Israel (1980) — poetry collection
• How Much for the Earth? A Suite of Poems: About Time for Considering (1983) — poetry collection
• "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" (1985) hymn
• Things Happen: Poems of Survival (1991) — poetry collection
• Hope and Recovery: A Mother-Daughter Story About Anorexis Nervosa, Bulimia, and Manic Depression (1992)^[9]
• Clarice Short: Earthy Academic (1994) — biography/memoir
• All God's Critters Got A Place in the Choir (1995) — personal essay collection with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
• "The Place of Knowing" (2011) — personal memoir/autobiography