Stephen Graham Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Graham Jones
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Stephen Graham Jones, late 2019
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| Born | January 22, 1972 Midland, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, Ineva Baldwin Professor of English at University of Colorado |
| Education | |
| Genre | Horror fiction |
| Notable works | The Only Good Indians My Heart Is a Chainsaw Night of the Mannequins Don't Fear the Reaper |
| Spouse | Nancy Jones |
| Children | 2 |
Stephen Graham Jones (born January 22, 1972) is a talented Native American author. He is a member of the Blackfeet tribe. Stephen Graham Jones writes many types of stories. These include horror fiction, crime fiction, and science fiction.
Some of his most famous horror novels are The Only Good Indians, My Heart Is a Chainsaw, and Night of the Mannequins. Besides writing, Jones is also a professor. He teaches English at the University of Colorado. He has been a teacher there since 2008.
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About Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones was born in Midland, Texas. His birthday is January 22, 1972. His parents are Dennis Jones and Rebecca Graham. He is an official member of the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana.
Early Life and Education
Stephen Graham Jones loved reading from a young age. He started reading a lot when he was 11 years old. When he was a boy, he dreamed of being a farmer. He never thought he would become a teacher or a writer.
After starting college, Jones decided to keep studying. He still thought he would go back to a hands-on job after graduating. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy, in 1994. This was from Texas Tech University.
He then got a Master of Arts in English from the University of North Texas in 1996. In 1998, he finished his Ph.D. from Florida State University.
After getting his Ph.D. in 1998, Jones worked in a warehouse in Texas. A back injury made him switch to a desk job. He worked at the Texas Tech Library for a while. Later, he started teaching at Texas Tech University and the University of West Texas.
Stephen Graham Jones's Writing Journey
While Stephen Graham Jones was studying at Florida State University, he met an editor. Her name was Jane Silver from Houghton-Mifflin. He met her at a writing conference. Jones told her about a novel idea he had, even though he hadn't written it yet. Silver liked his idea.
Jones then wrote the book, The Fast Red Road, as his school project. It was published as his first novel in 2000. His next book, All the Beautiful Sinners, came out in 2003.
Awards and Recognition
Stephen Graham Jones has won many awards for his writing. In 2002, he received a special fellowship for fiction. This was from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2006, he won the Jesse Jones Award for Fiction. This award was for his short story collection Bleed into Me.
He also won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction in 2017. This was for his book Mapping the Interior.
His horror novel, The Only Good Indians, was published on July 14, 2020. It won the Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction in 2020. Jones also won two 2020 Bram Stoker Awards. These were for Night of the Mannequins and The Only Good Indians.
In November 2020, Jones wrote an X-Men story for Marvel Comics. It was part of their Marvel's Voices: Indigenous Voices #1 comic book. Artist David Cutler worked with him on this project.
What Makes His Stories Special
Stephen Graham Jones's writing style is unique. He often uses elements of "dark playfulness" and mixes different story types. He also mentions that the novels of Louis L'Amour helped him become a writer. He says those old western stories are now "part of his DNA" as a writer.
Jones's stories can be described as "Native American Gothic." This is a special type of writing. It uses fantasy, science fiction, and horror. These stories help show unfairness, like the racial issues mentioned in his novel The Only Good Indians.
Jones enjoys making his stories more and more strange. He also uses humor to ease the tension. This helps build excitement for the reader.
Stephen Graham Jones's Family Life
Stephen Graham Jones married his wife, Nancy, on May 20, 1995. They have two children together.
The family lives in Boulder, Colorado. Jones teaches at the University of Colorado. He holds a special teaching position there. He enjoys going back to northern Montana in July. He attends the Blackfeet Nation Pow Wow. In November, he goes for the yearly Montana Blackfeet elk hunt. This annual elk hunt actually inspired his novel The Only Good Indians.
Awards and Achievements
Stephen Graham Jones has received many awards for his writing. Here are some of them:
- In 2017, he won the Bram Stoker Award for Mapping the Interior.
- In 2020, he won the Bram Stoker Award for Night of the Mannequins.
- Also in 2020, he won the Shirley Jackson Award for Night of the Mannequins.
- In 2020, he won the Bram Stoker Award for The Only Good Indians.
- In 2020, he won the Ray Bradbury Prize for The Only Good Indians.
- In 2020, he won the Shirley Jackson Award for The Only Good Indians.
- In 2021, he won the Bram Stoker Award for My Heart Is a Chainsaw.
- In 2021, he won the Alex Award for The Only Good Indians.
- In 2022, he won the Locus Award for My Heart Is a Chainsaw.
- In 2022, he won the Shirley Jackson Award for My Heart Is a Chainsaw.
- In 2024, he won the British Fantasy Award for Don't Fear the Reaper.
Selected Works
Books
- The Indian Lake Trilogy
Short Stories
- "Little Lambs" (2012)
- "The Backbone of the World" (2022)
- "Men, Women, and Chainsaws" (2022)
Comics
- "Dear Final Girls" (2019)
See also
In Spanish: Stephen Graham Jones para niños
