American Book Awards
2 appearances
-
Edition 24 (2003) Winner
-
Edition 45 (2024) Winner
Debra Magpie Earling
デブラ・マグパイ・アーリング
Debra Magpie Earling
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1957-08-03 （Spokane, Washington, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Spokane, Washington (birth) → Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana (early career/activity) → Missoula, Montana (affiliation/residence)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, short story writer, university professor (English/creative writing)
- Active Years
- 1975-
- Affiliations
- University of Montana (Department of English, Creative Writing Program)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Cornell University | — | English / Fiction Writing | MA | — | United States |
| Cornell University | — | Fiction Writing | MFA | — | United States |
University of Washington
Country:
United States
Undergraduate studies (details unknown)
Cornell University
English / Fiction Writing
Degree:
MA
Year of Graduation:
1991
Country:
United States
Master of Arts in English
Cornell University
Fiction Writing
Degree:
MFA
Year of Graduation:
1992
Country:
United States
MFA in Fiction Writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Spur Award for Best Novel of the West | Perma Red | — | Western Writers of America | 受賞 |
| 2003 | American Book Award | Perma Red | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2003 | WILLA Literary Award | Perma Red | — | WILLA Literary Award (organization) | 受賞 |
| 2006 | NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) grant | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 助成 |
| 2007 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞（フェロー） |
| 2019 | The Great Montana Read — Montana's Best Loved Novel (vote) | Perma Red | — | Montana PBS / Montana Public Radio | 選出 |
Spur Award for Best Novel of the West
2003
Work:
Perma Red
Organization:
Western Writers of America
Result:
受賞
American Book Award
2003
Work:
Perma Red
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
WILLA Literary Award
2003
Work:
Perma Red
Organization:
WILLA Literary Award (organization)
Result:
受賞
NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) grant
2006
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
助成
Guggenheim Fellowship
2007
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞（フェロー）
The Great Montana Read — Montana's Best Loved Novel (vote)
2019
Work:
Perma Red
Organization:
Montana PBS / Montana Public Radio
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Perma Red
2006 historical fiction / novelSet on the Flathead Indian Reservation in the 1940s, Perma Red follows Louise White Elk, a determined young woman who comes of age while being pursued by three dangerous men. The novel addresses issues such as the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and the struggle for autonomy.
Indigenous womenviolence and resistanceidentity and belongingeffects of colonialism
Adaptations
- [TV series (in development)] Perma Red
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea
2004 essays / art collaboration (photo interventions)A project begun for the Lewis and Clark bicentennial, this collaboration between Earling and artist Peter Koch combines writing and historical photographs to explore Sacajewea as a lens for Indigenous women's long-standing struggles and desire for freedom.
revisiting historyIndigenous women's perspectivesintersection of art and archival materials
Bibliography
- Perma Red
- The Lost Journals of Sacajewea
- Short stories and contributions to anthologies (various)
Adaptations
- Perma Red — TV adaptation project led by indigenous women filmmakers (fundraising/development)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical realismtestimonial voice foregrounding Indigenous perspectives
- Recurring Motifs
- vast landscapes and landfemale agency and traumafamily and community ties
Legacy
Debra Magpie Earling is a writer who has powerfully foregrounded Indigenous perspectives in contemporary literature; Perma Red in particular is highly regarded in Montana. She has contributed to both academic and community-based work in education and cultural preservation.
Museums
- Missoula Art Museum Missoula, Montana, United States
Academic Societies
- Western Writers of America (associated award)
Archives
- Missoula Art Museum archives (related to The Lost Journals of Sacajewea exhibition)
- University of Montana related archives
In Popular Culture
- Perma Red TV adaptation project (production and fundraising led by indigenous women filmmakers)
Quotes
-
"Native women need to tell their own stories. Now is the time for those stories to rise. Perma Red is only the beginning."
Source: Perma Red TV adaptation fundraising page (Indiegogo) (2018)
Trivia
- At 18 she became the first public defender in the Tribal Justice System of the Flathead Indian Reservation.
- In 2016 she became the first Native American director of the University of Montana's creative writing program.
- Named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2007.