Craig Lancaster (born February 9, 1970) is an American author, playwright, and journalist, best known for his novels '' 600 Hours of Edward'', its sequel, ''Edward Adrift'', and '' The Summer Son''.Crisp, Davi
"Edward Adrift"
, ''The Billings Outpost'', Billings, June 15, 2013. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.Moore, David, and Simon, Lis

''Reflections West'', Year 2, Episode 35, Retrieved on November 6, 2013. His other notable works include a short story collection as well as numerous articles and essays produced during his career as a newspaper writer and editor.Ames, Larr

''The Dallas Morning News'', Dallas, Retrieved on November 6, 2013.Ens, Kaitli

, ''UMW News'', Retrieved on November 6, 2013. The author, a two-time

High Plains Book Awards The High Plains Book Awards are North American literary awards for literature about the High Plains region of the United States and Canada. Description The awards go to books that highlight the experience and landscape of the High Plains reg ...

winner, was lauded as "one of

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

's most important writers."Biography, ''Craig Lancaster''
Retrieved on November 6, 2013. Lancaster's works are set against the backdrop of the contemporary American West, specifically

, where he lives and writes. His prose has been described as deeply emotional and deceptively direct, centering on intense characters who navigate obstacles and relationships in ways that are simultaneously humorous and poignant.Evison, Jonatha
“When We Fell In Love--Craig Lancaster”
, ''Three Guys One Book (3G1B)'', February 3, 2001, Retrieved on November 6, 2013.Miller, Mar
“Reading Hemingway in Yellowstone”
''M. Mark Miller--News, Views, & Stories'', March 1, 2011, Retrieved on November 6, 2013. His literary influences include

Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized f ...

Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...

, Stegner, and Doig.“Craig Lancaster”
''Goodreads'', Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

Biography

Craig Lancaster was born in

Lakewood, Washington Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 63,612 at the 2020 census. It is the second-largest city in the county, behind Tacoma, and is a suburban bedroom community. Lakewood is adjacent to Joint Base ...

, on February 9, 1970. He was adopted by a

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

couple who met in

Billings, Montana Billings is the most populous Lists of populated places in the United States, city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, i ...

, where he would eventually settle and launch his career as a novelist.“Craig Lancaster”
''LibraryThing'', Retrieved on 6 November 2013. After his parents divorced in the early 1970s, his mother remarried and moved Craig to suburban

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. His step-father, a longtime sportswriter for the

Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Car ...

, had a tremendous impact on Lancaster's formative years by encouraging his early interest in writing.Sandifer, Linda
“Author Interview: Craig Lancaster"
''Writing the West'', February 17, 2011, Retrieved on 6 November 2013.“Craig Lancaster”
, ''WritersNet'', Retrieved on November 6, 2013. Lancaster's fascination with the "Western identity" was also rooted in his childhood, as he traveled extensively during summer vacations to visit his father, who followed work in Western oil fields. Lancaster describes his early memories of Montana as "vast, beautiful, ndoverwhelming," and knew that he "wanted to be a part of it." Lancaster attended the

University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas, United States. It is the second oldest university in the University of Texas System and was founded in 1895. It was in the Texas A& ...

, and subsequently made his foray into "The West" of his early imagination via a series of journalistic assignments that led him from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, and eventually, Montana. In 2006, Lancaster moved to Montana, where he married and subsequently divorced in 2015. Lancaster married fellow novelist Elisa Lorello in 2016. His work as a writer and editor has appeared in the ''

'', ''

San Jose Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidia ...

'', ''

Billings Gazette The ''Billings Gazette'' is a daily newspaper based in Billings, Montana, that primarily covers issues in southeast Montana and parts of northern Wyoming. Historically it has been known as the largest newspaper in Montana Montana ( ) is a ...

'', and ''Magic City Magazine''.“Craig Lancaster, Author of Edward Adrift”
''The Write Question'', KUFM, Retrieved 6 November 2013. He also serves as design director of ''Montana Quarterly'', in addition to being a frequent contributor. In October and November 2023, Yellowstone Repertory Theatre, a professional troupe in Billings, Montana, staged the world premiere production of Lancaster’s first full-length play, ''Straight On To Stardust''. The play was hailed as “very smart and deeply moving.”

Major works

Novels

*'' 600 Hours of Edward'' (Riverbend Publishing, 2009) *'' The Summer Son'' (Lake Union Publishing, 2011) *''Edward Adrift'' (Lake Union Publishing, 2013) *''The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter'' (Lake Union Publishing, 2014) *''This Is What I Want'' (Lake Union Publishing, 2015) *''Edward Unspooled'' (Missouri Breaks Press, 2016) *''Julep Street'' (Missouri Breaks Press, 2017) *''You, Me, & Mr. Blue Sky'', co-author with Elisa Lorello (Lancarello Enterprises, 2019) *''And It Will Be a Beautiful Life'' (2021, The Story Plant)

Short stories

*''Quantum Physics and The Art of Departure'' (Missouri Breaks Press, 2011), republished in 2016 as ''The Art of Departure''

Nonfiction

*''Past-Due Pastorals: Memories and Observations of a Mind Adrift in the West'' (2009)

Plays

*''Straight On To Stardust'' (world premiere in 2023)

Awards and recognition

*2009 Montana Honor Book, ''600 Hours of Edward''“Montana Book Award Honors 5 Authors”
''Billings Gazette'', March 6, 2010, Retrieved November 6, 2013. *2010 High Plains Book Awards "Best First Book," ''600 Hours of Edward''“High Plains Book Award/Previous Winners”
, Parmly Billings Library, Retrieved November 6, 2013.
''Billings Gazette'', Billings, Retrieved November 6, 2013. *2010 Utah Book Award Finalist, ''The Summer Son''
''Billings Gazette'', Billings, July 31, 2011, Retrieved November 6, 2013. *2012 Independent Publishers Book Award, Gold Medal, "Best Regional Fiction," ''Quantum Physics and The Art of Departure''
''Billings Gazette'', May 24, 2012, Retrieved November 6, 2013. *2012 High Plains Book Awards Finalist, ''Quantum Physics and The Art of Departure''
''Billings Gazette'', October 14, 2012, Retrieved November 6, 2013. *2014 Kindle First Selection, ''The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter'' *2016 High Plains Book Award Fiction Finalist, ''This Is What I Want'' *2017 International Book Awards Finalist, ''Edward Unspooled'' *2022 American Fiction Awards Winner, "Literary Fiction," ''And It Will Be a Beautiful Life'' *2022 2022 High Plains Book Awards Winner, "Fiction," ''And It Will Be a Beautiful Life''''Previous High Plains Book Award Winners''
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lancaster, Craig 1970 births Writers from Billings, Montana Journalists from Fort Worth, Texas People from Lakewood, Washington Sportswriters from Montana Novelists from Texas Novelists from Washington (state) Living people University of Texas at Arlington alumni American male novelists American columnists American newspaper writers Novelists from Montana Sportswriters from Washington (state) American male journalists 21st-century American novelists American adoptees Sportswriters from Texas American male short story writers 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers