PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (1993) Winner
Louis Owens
ルイス・オーエンズ
Louis Owens
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1948-07-18 （Lompoc, California, United States）
- Died
- 2002-07-25 （Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States） age 54
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Grew up in rural Mississippi → Grew up in California → Washington State (worked for U.S. Forest Service) → Albuquerque, New Mexico (final residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Scholar, University professor, Literary critic, Editor
- Active Years
- 1969-2002
- Affiliations
- University of California, Davis (professor; director of creative writing), University of California, Santa Cruz (faculty), California State University, Northridge (faculty), University of New Mexico (faculty), Editorial board member, Steinbeck Quarterly, Associate editor, American Literary Realism
- Memberships
- Editorial board, Steinbeck Quarterly, Associate editor, American Literary Realism, Member, national committee for the Native American Literature Award, Member, national committee for the Native American Prose Award, Governing board member, Native American International Prize in Literature
- Influenced By
- John Steinbeck (literary influence)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | — | — | B.A./M.A. | — | United States |
| University of California, Davis | — | — | Ph.D. | — | United States |
University of California, Santa Barbara
Degree:
B.A./M.A.
Country:
United States
Received B.A. and M.A. from University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Davis
Degree:
Ph.D.
Year of Graduation:
1981
Country:
United States
Received Ph.D. in 1981
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Josephine Miles PEN Oakland Award (co-winner) | The Sharpest Sight / Other Destinies (co-winners) | — | PEN Oakland | winner |
| 1995 | Roman Noir Award | The Sharpest Sight | — | Roman Noir (France) | winner |
| 1997 | American Book Award | Nightland | — | Before Columbus Foundation | winner |
| 1998 | Writer of the Year Award (Wordcraft Circle) | Mixedblood Messages | — | Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers | winner |
| 1994 | Julian J. Rothbaum Prize (best book published by University of Oklahoma Press) | Bone Game | — | University of Oklahoma Press | winner |
| 1989 | National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | fellowship |
| 1987 | National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Humanities | fellowship |
| 1980 | Fulbright lecturer (University of Pisa, Italy) | — | — | Fulbright | lectureship |
Josephine Miles PEN Oakland Award (co-winner)
1993
Work:
The Sharpest Sight / Other Destinies (co-winners)
Organization:
PEN Oakland
Result:
winner
Roman Noir Award
1995
Work:
The Sharpest Sight
Organization:
Roman Noir (France)
Result:
winner
American Book Award
1997
Work:
Nightland
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
winner
Writer of the Year Award (Wordcraft Circle)
1998
Work:
Mixedblood Messages
Organization:
Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers
Result:
winner
Julian J. Rothbaum Prize (best book published by University of Oklahoma Press)
1994
Work:
Bone Game
Organization:
University of Oklahoma Press
Result:
winner
National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship
1989
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
fellowship
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship
1987
Organization:
National Endowment for the Humanities
Result:
fellowship
Fulbright lecturer (University of Pisa, Italy)
1980
Organization:
Fulbright
Result:
lectureship
Awards & Nominations
American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (1997) Winner
Works
Major Works
Wolfsong
1995 Novel (Native American themes / mystery)A novel exploring Native identity and relationship to place, incorporating thriller elements.
IdentityLandscapeNative cultureMystery
The Sharpest Sight
1995 Novel (mystery / literary)A mystery novel where Native myth and contemporary society intersect. Winner of France's Roman Noir Award.
Mythic syncretismEthnic identityCrime
Bone Game
1996 NovelA novel drawing on Native stories. Selected as best book published by University of Oklahoma Press.
Healing narrativesCultural inheritance
Nightland
1996 Novel (thriller / literary)A work that fuses mythic elements with thriller plotlines. Winner of the American Book Award.
MythViolence and redemptionMixed-blood identity
Dark River
1999 NovelA story addressing Native experiences and contemporary issues, with landscape and memory playing key roles.
LandscapeMemoryCommunity
Bibliography
- Wolfsong (1995)
- The Sharpest Sight (1995)
- Bone Game (1996)
- Nightland (1996)
- Dark River (1999)
- Mixedblood Messages: Literature, Film, Family, Place (essays)
- Other Destinies (essays/criticism)
- The Grapes of Wrath: Trouble in the Promised Land (criticism)
- John Steinbeck's Re-Vision of America (criticism)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Blend of thriller plots and literary themesSyncretic style incorporating myth and ethnographyCritical, scholarly perspective in prose
- Recurring Motifs
- Exploration of mixed-blood identityLandscape and memoryTrickster and mythic elements
Legacy
Considered a leading writer and scholar in Native American literature and Native American Studies. Praised for combining mystery/thriller elements with Native themes, he received multiple awards including the American Book Award and contributed significantly to teaching and scholarship at institutions such as UC Davis.
Academic Societies
- International Steinbeck Society
Archives
- Louis Owens Papers (Special Collections, University of California, Davis)
Trivia
- He was one of nine children.
- At age nine he worked picking beans and other farm work.
- Worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a ranger and firefighter from 1969 to 1974.
- Self-identified as of Choctaw, Cherokee and Irish-American descent but was not enrolled in any Native nation.
- Died by suicide in 2002.