Marly Swick

Born 1949 Indianapolis, IN (USA)

English Professor who taught creative writing at UNL from 1988 to 1999, then moved to the creative writing program at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Swick grew up in a very mobile family and once told an interviewer "I don't really feel as if I am from anywhere." (Omaha World-Herald, 5-19-1992) She expressed surprise at finding her books on the "Nebraska Writers" book shelf at a local book store. She did write about Nebraska locations, including a short story set in Crete, NE. Her stories have received critical acclaim.

She has received a number of fellowships and awards (listed below), including a 1991 O.Henry Award.

Places Lived

Lincoln, NE (1988-1999)
California
New York
New Hampshire
Georgia
Massachusetts
Iowa
Delaware

Author Of

Fiction

Keywords

Short Stories

Education

Bachelor of Arts Degree, 1971, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Master of Arts Degree, Mills College, Oakland, CA
Ph.D., 1979, American University, Washington, D.C.
Master of Fine Arts Degree, 1986, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Occupation

Assistant Professor of English, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Tenured Professor of Creative Writing, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Places Worked

American University
Southwestern University Law School
University of Iowa
University of Wisconsin- Madison
University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Honors

John H. Ames Reading Series, Featured Reader, 15 February 1996
Received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
James Michener Award, 1986
1990 Iowa short story award, 1990, for A Hole in the Language
O. Henry Short Story Award, 1991
Iowa Short Story Fiction Award, 1991, for Elba
Fellow at Yaddo and MacDowell colonies
Nebraska Literary Heritage Association’s Literary Heritage Award, 1996

Associations

Resided in Art Colonies such as Yaddo, Saratoga Springs NY and MacDowell near Peterborough, NH

Bibliography

Monogamy.
A Hole in the Language. 1990.
The Summer Before the Summer of Love. 1995.
Paper Wings. 1996.
Voices of the Plains. 1989. (audio cassette series)
'The Ghost Mother' in Wanting a Child. 1998. by Jill Bialosky and Helen Schulman
Evening News. 1999.

Marly Swick's Ames Reading Series presentation in February 1996:

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