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Nebraska Authors

Lori Van Pelt

Born 1961 Harrisburg, NE (USA)

Lori Van Pelt grew up on a ranch in Banner County, Nebraska and began writing during her high school years. Her first poem was published when her high school English teacher submitted one of her poems to the National Poetry Press without telling her. When the poem was published, her teacher read the poem aloud to her class. Thus began Van Pelt's career in writing. Lori has been a freelance writer since 1994 and has won many awards. She also performed in a History Channel documentary portraying the wife of wagon train leader Albert Fancher. Ms. Van Pelt makes her home in Laramie, Wyoming.

Places Lived

Banner County, NE (1961-1988)
Scottsbluff, NE
Laramie, WY
Saratoga, WY

Author Of

  • Fiction
  • Journalism
  • Nonfiction
  • Biography
  • Poetry

Keywords

Historical Fiction; History - Wyoming; Non-Fiction; Short Fiction; Journalism; Western Fiction; Biography; Amelia Earhart

Education

Associate of Applied Science Degree, 1981, Nebraska Western College, Scottsbluff, NE
Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance with honors, 1993, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Occupation

Rancher
Banker
Journalist
Free-lance Writer
Actress

Places Worked

Family Ranch, Banner County, NE
Banner County Bank, Harrisburg, NE
Western Nebraska Observer, Kimball, NE
First State Bank, Scottsbluff, NE
Saratoga Sun, Saratoga, WY
University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Honors

Maggie Award from Western Publications Association, 2004, for "Historic Trails" series in Western Writers of America Roundup Magazine
2004 Spur Finalist Award for Best Short Non-fiction, 2004, for "Cattle Kate: Homesteader or Cattle Thief?" in Wild Women of the Old West
Her book Amelia Earhart: The Sky's No Limit chosen a "Best Books for Teens" 2006 selection by the New York Public Library

Associations

Western Writers of America

Bibliography

Dreamers and Schemers: Profiles from Carbon County, Wyoming's Past. 1999.
Pecker's Revenge and Other Stories From the Frontier's Edge. 2005.
Amelia Earhart: The Sky's No Limit. 2005.
Capital Characters of Old Cheyenne. 2006.

Short Fiction appears in the these anthologies:
American West. 2001.
White Hats and Black Hats. 2002.
Hot Biscuits.

Lori Van Pelt has published in the following Magazines:
Western Writers of America Roundup Magazine
Wild West
True West
Pilot Getaways
WOLA Journal
Annals of Wyoming
Persimmon Hill
Private Pilot
Art of the West
Byline
Western Horseman
The Fence Post
Old West

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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)