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Browse A-Z Authors: Si-Sm

Sickels, Carter

  • Name(s)
    • Carter Sickels
  • Date of Birth
    • 1973
  • Residences
    • Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky
    • New York City, New York
    • Small town Ohio
  • Education
    • MFA, Pennsylvania State University
    • MA in Folklore, University of North Carolina
  • Life events
    • Fellowship from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference
    • Fellowship from the Sewanee Writers' Conference
    • Fellowship from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
    • Fellowship from MacDowell Colony
  • Awards and recognitions
    • 2021 Ohioana Book Award in Fiction
    • 2021 Southern Book Prize
    • 2021 Weatherford Award for Best Appalachian Book
    • Kirkus Best Book of 2020
    • Best LGBT Book of 2020 by O Magazine
    • 2013 Lambda Literary Emerging Writer Award
  • Employment
    • Assistant professor of English at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky
      • teaches in the Bluegrass Writers Studio Low-Residency MFA program
    • Contributor
      • The Atlantic
      • Oxford American
      • Poets & Writers
      • Buzzfeed
      • Joyland
      • Guernica
      • Catapult
      • Electric Literature 
      • Bellevue Literary Review
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Writer
    • Editor
    • Professor

Silbernagel, Adrian

Adrian Silbernagel

  • Name(s)
    • Adrian Silbernagel
  • Date of Birth
  • Residence(s)
    • Fargo, North Dakota
    • Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
    • Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
  • Education
    • M.A. in Philosophy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
  • Life Events
  • Employment
    • Manager, Heine Brothers' Coffee, Louisville, Kentucky
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Poet
    • Barista
    • Journalist
    • Speaker

Sipple, Savannah

  • Name(s)
    • Savannah Sipple
  • Date of Birth
    • Beattyville, Lee County, Kentucky
  • Residence(s)
    • Beattyville, Lee County, Kentucky
    • Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
  • Education
    • M.F.A., Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky
    • B.A. in Creative Writing, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky
  • Life Events
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Employment
    • Assistant Professor of English, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Lexington, Kentucky
    • Co-Owner Brier Books, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Professor
    • Editor
    • Writer
    • Poet

Skaggs, Misty

Misty Skaggs

  • Name(s)
    • Misty Skaggs
  • Date of Birth
    • 1982
    • eastern Kentucky
  • Residence(s)
    • Elliott County, Kentucky
  • Education
    • Bachelors degree, Berea College, Berea, Kentucky
  • Life Events
  • Employment
    • Freelance writer
    • Associate editor, Night Train Magazine
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Poet
    • Writer
    • Activist

Skinner, Jeffrey

  • Name(s)
    • Jeffrey Skinner
  • Date of Birth
    • December 8, 1949
    • Buffalo, New York
  • Residence(s)
    • Buffalo, New York
    • Erie, Pennsylvania
    • Long Island, New York
    • Connecticut
    • Lewes, Delaware
    • Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
  • Education
    • M.F.A., Columbia University, New York City
    • Masters in Theoretical Psychology, University of Bridgeport
    • Bachelors in Psychology, Rollins College, Florida, 1971
    • Long Island Lutheran High School, Long Island, New York
  • Life Events
    • Co-founded publishing house, Sarabande Books, with wife Sarah Gorham
    • Married poet Sarah Gorham, two children
  • Awards and Recognitions
    • Field Poetry Prize for Chance Divine, 2017
    • American Academy of Arts & Letters Award, 2015
    • Artist-in-Residence at the CERN particle accelerator, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015
    • Poetry Fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation, 2014
    • Crab Orchard Open Poetry Competition Winner for Glaciology, 2012
    • Paw Paw Village Players short play competition winner for Damned Spot, 2006
    • National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Fellowships, 1986, 2006
    • Poet-in-Residence at the James Merrill House, Stonington, Connecticut, 2002
    • Award from the Ingram Merrill Foundation
    • Award from the Howard Foundation
    • Residency at Yaddo
    • Residency at McDowell Colony
    • Residency at Vermont Studios
    • Residency at the Fine Arts Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts 
  • Employment
    • President fo the Board of Directors and Editorial Consultant, Sarabande Books
    • Professor of Creative Writing and English, University of Louisville, 1987-
    • Taught creative writing, composition, and literature at Salisbury State College
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Teacher
    • Poet 
    • Playwright

Slone, Verna Mae

Verna Mae Slone

Photo: Goodreads

  • Name(s)
    • Verna Mae Slone
  • Date of Birth
    • October 9, 1914
    • Knott County, Kentucky
  • Date of Death
    • January 5, 2009
    • Knott County, Kentucky
    • Buried at the Slone Cemetery, Raven, Knott County, Kentucky
  • Residence(s)
    • Knott County, Kentucky
  • Education
  • Life Events
    • Married Willie Slone, five sons; he died in 1989
  • Employment
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Dollmaker
    • Quilter
    • Writer

Smith, Amy Luscher

Amy Luscher Smith

  • Name(s)
    • Amy Luscher Smith
    • Amy M. Smith
  • Date of Birth
  • Residence(s)
    • Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky
  • Education
    • Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration and Organizational Development, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, 2009
    • M.A. in English and Literature/Letters, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, 1998
    • B.A., English, American Studies, Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky
  • Life Events
    • Member of the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, 2009-present
    • Member and volunteer for the Kentucky Book Fair, 200-2017
    • Cancer survivor
  • Employment
    • Kentucky Housing Corporation, Frankfort, Kentucky, 1997-present
    • Adjunct Professor, Indiana Wesleyan University, Louisville, Kentucky, 2007-2009
    • Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, 1994-1996
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Organizational Development Professional
    • Writer

Smith, Effie Waller

  • Name(s)
    • Effie Waller Smith
  • Date of Birth
    • June 1, 1879
    • Chole Creek, near Pikeville, Pike County, Kentucky
  • Date of Death
    • January 2, 1960
    • Neenah, Wisconsin
    • Buried at the Oak Hill Cemetery, Neenah, Wisconsin
  • Residence(s)
    • Chole Creek, near Pikeville, Pike County, Kentucky, 1879-1900
    • Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky, 1900-1918
    • Wisconsin, 1918-1960
  • Education
    • The Kentucky Normal School for Colored Persons, 1900-1902
    • Attended grade school through the 8th grade
  • Life Events
    • Her parents, Frank Waller and Alvindia "Sibbie" Ratliff, were former slaves in Virginia; they migrated to Kentucky after the Civil War ended.
    • Married Lyss Cockrell, 1904; he left soon after, divorced c.1904 
    • Married Deputy Sheriff Charles Smith, February, 1908; one child who died in infancy; she filed for divorced, July 1908 (unclear if it was finalized; he was killed in 1911 while serving an arrest warrent.)
    • Published her last poem, "Autumn Wind" in Harper's Monthly in 1917, at only 38 years old. 
    • Adopted a daughter, Ruth Virginia Ratliff Smith, who was the daughter of deceased friend Polly Mullins Ratliff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Employment
    • Taught on-and-off at several schools in Kentucky and Tennessee
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Teacher
    • Poet

Smith, Gerald L.

  • Name(s)
    • Gerald L. Smith
  • Date of Birth
    • April 8, 1959
  • Residence(s)
    • Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
    • Memphis, Tennessee
    • Berea, Madison County, Kentucky
  • Education
    • Ph.D., University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 1988
    • M.A., University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
    • B.A., University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Life Events
    • Served as the Chair of the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission.
    • Serves on the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation Board
    • Serves on the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage Board
    • Married to Teresa Turner, two daughters
  • Awards and Recognitions
    • Inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, 2019
    • Distinguished Service and Engagement Award, University of Kentucky, 2018
    • University of Kentucky Inclusive Excellence Award, 2018
    • Kente Cloth Award from Campbellsville University, 2017
    • Named Outstanding Professor by Fraternity and Sorority Greek Life at the University of Kentucky, 2017
    • Kentucky Historical Society Publication Award for Kentucky African-American Encyclopedia, 2016
    • Living Legacy Award, 2016
    • Thomas D. Clark Medallion Book Award for Kentucky African-American Encyclopedia, 2015
    • Racial Recognition Award, 2015
    • Charles W. Anderson Laureate (Medal) Award from the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Personal Cabinet, 2014
    • Great Teacher Award, University of Kentucky Alumni Association, 2013
    • Richard H. Collins Award from the Kentucky Historical Society, 2011
    • Inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegium of Scholars of Morehouse College
    • Inducted into the Henry Clay High School Hall of Fame in Lexington, Kentucky, 2006
    • Held the Theodore A. Hallam Professorship at the University of Kentucky
    • Held the Martin Luther King Center Scholar-in-Residence position at the University of Kentucky
    • Evelyn Black Award from the UK Black Student Union, 2005, 2007
    • Included in the Who's Who Among African Americans, 2000
    • National Faculty Scholar, 1997
  • Employment
    • Professor of African American and Africana Studies and History, University of Kentucky, c.1995-2020
    • Pastor, Pilgrim Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky
    • Pastor, Farristown Baptist Church, Berea, Kentucky, 2003-2011
    • Director of the African American Studies and Research Program, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 1997-2005
    • Associate Professor of African American History, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 1994-
    • Professor, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, 1988-1993
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Historian
    • Professor
    • Educator
    • Writer
    • Pastor

Smith, Michael Patrick F.

Michael Patrick F. Smith

Photo: Zach Pontz

  • Name(s)
    • Michael Patrick F. Smith
  • Date of Birth
  • Residence(s)
    • Frederick County, Maryland
    • New York City, New York
    • Williston, North Dakota
    • Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
  • Education
  • Employment
    • Oil field worker, North Dakota
    • Actor
    • Various (bartender, contractor, clerk, receptionist, producer, driver, waiter, security guard, etc.)
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Folksinger
    • Playwright
    • Oil field worker
    • Writer

Smith, Sue Griffith

Sue Griffith Smith

Photo: NACIE Board

  • Name(s)
    • Sue Griffith Smith
  • Date of Birth
    • Eastern Kentucky
  • Residence(s)
    • Eastern Kentucky
    • Columbus, Indiana
  • Education
    • MA in Creative Writing, Antioch University, Yellow Springs, Ohio
    • BA in Journalism, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
  • Life Events
  • Employment
    • Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis, Indiana
      • Vice president for the Technology & Applied Sciences Division, 2014-present
      • Corporate Executive for Advanced Manufacturing, 2010-present
      • Executive Director, 1990-2010
    • Freelance journalist
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Journalist
    • Writer

Smith, Virginia

Virginia Smith

Photo: Amazon

  • Name(s)
    • Virginia Smith
    • Pseudonym: Ginny Patrick
  • Date of Birth
  • Residence(s)
    • Salt Lake City, Utah
    • Central Kentucky
  • Education
  • Life Events
    • Married to husband Ted September 22, 1990
  • Awards and Recognitions
    • Holt Medallion Award of Merit, two time winner
    • Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense
    • American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year Award
    • ACFW's Carol Award
    • Library Journal's top pick of the month for The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade
    • Finalist for Bookseller's Best Award for The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade
  • Employment
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Inspirational speaker
    • Presenter

Smock, Frederick

  • Name(s)
    • Frederick Smock
    • Frederik Smok
  • Date of Birth
    • 1954
    • Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
  • Residence(s)
    • Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
    • Georgetown, Scott County, Kentucky
  • Education
    • M.A., University of Louisville, 1978
    • B.A., Georgetown College, Kentucky, 1976
    • Seneca High School
  • Life Events
    • Married Olga-Maria Cruz, divorced
  • Awards and Recognitions
    • Kentucky Poet Laureate, 2017-2018
    • Al Smith Fellowship recipient from the Kentucky Arts Council
    • Kentucky Literary Award for Poetry, 2008
    • Wyatt Faculty Award from Bellarmine University, 2005
    • Jim Wayne Miller Prize for Poetry, 2003
    • Henry Leadingham Poetry Prize, 2002
  • Employment
    • Director of Creative Writing and Professor of English, Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky
    • Co-editor, The Hopscotch Annual
    • Professor, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
    • Editor, The American Voice, 1984-1999, Louisville, Kentucky
  • Occupation(s) / Field(s) of Activity
    • Professor
    • Poet
    • Writer
    • Editor