Debra Magpie Earling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debra Magpie Earling
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | August 3, 1957 Spokane, Washington |
| Occupation |
|
| Alma mater | University of Washington ; MA in English, MFA in Fiction Writing, Cornell University |
| Notable awards | Spur Award for Best Novel of the West (2003) |
Debra Cecille Magpie Earling is a talented Native American writer. She writes novels and short stories. She was born on August 3, 1957, in Spokane, Washington. Debra is a member of the Bitterroot Salish (tribe). She is famous for her books Perma Red and The Lost Journals of Sacajewea. Her stories often share important messages about Native American experiences.
Contents
Becoming a Writer and Teacher
Early Career Steps
When Debra was 18, she became the first public defender for the Tribal Justice System. This was on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. This job helped her understand important issues.
Higher Education and Teaching
Debra studied at the University of Washington. She later earned two advanced degrees from Cornell University. She received a Master of Arts (MA) in English in 1991. Then, in 1992, she earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Fiction Writing.
Today, Debra is a professor in the English Department at the University of Montana in Missoula. She teaches classes on writing fiction. She also teaches about Native American Studies. In 2016, she made history. She became the first Native American director of the University of Montana's creative writing program.
Debra Earling's Books
About Perma Red
Perma Red is Debra Earling's first novel. It tells a story set in the 1940s on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The main character is Louise White Elk. She is a strong and beautiful young woman. Louise dreams of finding her own path and a place where she truly belongs.
The story follows Louise as three different men try to control her. These men include a police officer, a charming local, and a wealthy landowner. The book explores themes of strength and survival. Perma Red also brings attention to the challenges faced by Indigenous women. This includes the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Awards for Perma Red
Perma Red has won many important awards. These include a Spur Award and a Medicine Pipe Bearer Award. It also received a WILLA Literary Award and an American Book Award. In January 2019, people in Montana voted Perma Red as their favorite novel. This was part of "The Great Montana Read" program.
Adapting Perma Red for TV
A group of Indigenous and women filmmakers are working to turn Perma Red into a TV show. Debra Earling believes it is important for Native women to share their own stories. She has said that Perma Red is "only the beginning" for these stories to be told.
About The Lost Journals of Sacajewea
This unique work started as a project for the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Debra Magpie Earling worked on it for five years with artist Peter Koch. Debra wrote the text for the book. Peter Koch collected historical photographs.
Together, their work aims to show the long struggle of Native women for freedom. They tell this story through the eyes of Sacajewea. The book was shown at the Missoula Museum of Art in 2011.
Awards and Recognition
Debra Magpie Earling has received several honors for her writing.
- In 2007, she was named a Guggenheim Fellow. This is a special award given to people who show great ability in their fields.
- She received an American Book Award in 2003.
- She won a WILLA Literary Award in 2003.
- In 2006, she received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
