Kent Meyers, Assistant Professor of English at Black Hills State University, has been
named 1998 South Dakota Author of the Year by the South Dakota Council of Teachers of
English. The announcement was made at SDCTE's annual meeting held March 28-29 in
Chamberlain.
Meyers received his honor in recognition of his achievement as writer of
fiction. With the upcoming publication of three of his works by highly respected publishers, Meyers has "entered
the realm of such South Dakota writers as Kathleen Norris, Linda Hasselstrom, and Dan
O'Brien."
The University of Minnesota Press will print a collection of Meyer's essays in September 1998: The Witness of Combines. In September 1998, Hungry Mind Press of Minneapolis will publish his novel, The River Warren. St. Martin's Press will publish a collection of his short fiction, Light in the Crossing and Other Stories, in March 1999.
Meyers received the Theodore Christian Hoepfner Award for the best
short story published in Southern Humanities Review during 1997. He
also published a short story, "Light in the Crossing," in The Georgia Review.
He received a bronze award from the Council of the Advancement and Support of Education in "Best Articles of the Year"
category.
According to SDCTE President Karen Harrington, "The Author of the
Year award will come at a time when Kent Meyers will be emerging as a significant American writer.
We will be honored to recognize his excellence."