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Nebraska Authors

Kent Haruf

AKA: Alan Kent Haruf

Born 1943-02-24 Pueblo, CO (USA)

Died 2014-11-30
Salida, CO (USA)

Celebrated novelist Kent Haruf is best known for his novels about the joy and heartbreak of everyday life on the high plains. A Colorado native, Haruf graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1965, and later went on to teach in the University's English Department. Before he became a published author, Haruf worked a variety of jobs, including teaching English in Turkey as a member of the Peace Corps. His novels have received many awards and have been adapted for stage and screen. His novel Plainsong was chosen for the One Book, One Lincoln reading series in 2002.

Places Lived

Lincoln, NE
Pueblo, CO
Salida, CO
Yuma, CO
Illinois

Author Of

  • Fiction

Keywords

Fiction

Education

Bachelor of Arts Degree, 1965, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE
Msster of Fine Arts Degree, Iowa Writers' Workshop, 1973 University of Iowa, Iowa City, NE

Occupation

High School English Teacher
Professor of English
Peace Corps Volunteer
Author

Places Worked

Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE
Denver, CO
Phoenix, AZ
Colorado
Iowa
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Republic of Turkey

Honors

Alan Collins Fellow at Breadloaf Writers' Conference, 1985
Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award for First Fiction, 1985
Whiting Award for Fiction, 1986
Featured Reader, John H. Ames Reading Series, Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors, May 1989
Maria Thomas Award in Fiction for Where You Once Belonged, 1991
Finalist for the 1999 National Book Award for Plainsong, 1999
Mountains & Plains Booksellers Award for Plainsong, 2000
One Book, One Lincoln for Plainsong, 2002
Colorado Book Award for Eventide, 2005
Finalist for the Book Sense Award for Eventide, 2005
Dos Passos Prize for Literature, 2009
Wallace Stegner Award, 2012
Folio Prize shortlist for Benediction, 2014

Bibliography

The Tie That Binds.1984.
Where You Once Belonged. 1990.
Plainsong.. 1999.
Eventide. 2004
West of Last Chance. 2008. (with photographer Peter Brown)
Benediction. 2013.
Our Souls At Night. 2015.

Story published in Best American Short Stories, 1987.
Essay published in Granta Magazine, issue 129, 2014.

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Kent Haruf
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(e.g. Author is buried in Fremont, not in David City / Also wrote for the Daily Nebraskan during her time as a student)