Laura Pritchett
Laura Pritchett is an American author whose work is rooted in the natural world. Known for championing the complex and contemporary American West and giving voice to the working class, her books have garnered the PEN USA Award, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, the WILLA, the High Plains Book Award, and others. Both her fiction and nonfiction often focus on issues of ecology, conservation, climate change, and social justice issues.
Primarily a novelist, her seven works of fiction hail from various presses, including Ballantine, Counterpoint, Milkweed Editions, and Torrey House. She cites her childhood on a ranch in northern Colorado as a primary influence on both her writing and environmental ethic.
Biography
Laura Pritchett grew up on a small ranch in northern Colorado. She received her BA and MA in English at Colorado State University in 1995. She has a PhD in English with an emphasis in Contemporary American Literature and Creative Writing from Purdue University.In 2024 she released two books:, released by and, released by Ballantine. Her 2014 novel,, released by Counterpoint, was heavily inspired by her father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease and the impact of his disease on her extended family. The book had an enthusiastic critical reception, including starred reviews from Booklist, and Library Journal. It won the High Plains Literary Award and was a finalist for several others. Her other novels include,,, and, which won the PEN USA Award for Fiction and the Milkweed National Fiction Prize.
Pritchett also writes for several magazines, most often about environmental issues in the American West. She was a regular columnist with The Colorado Sun.
She teaches for writing programs around the United States and is the Director of the Nature Writing MFA program at Western Colorado University.
Awards
- Milkweed National Fiction Prize, Hell's Bottom, Colorado, 2001.
- PEN USA West Literary Award for Fiction, Hell's Bottom, Colorado, 2002.
- WILLA Literary Award for Sky Bridge, 2006.
- Colorado Book Award, Home Land: Ranching and a West That Works, 2007.
- High Plains Book Awards, Stars Go Blue, 2015.
- Booklist Editor's Choice, The Blue Hour, 2017.
- Colorado Book Award, The Blue Hour, 2018
Works
Fiction
- Milkweed Editions. 2001.
- Milkweed Editions. 2005. ' Counterpoint. 2014.
- ' Counterpoint. 2015. Counterpoint. 2017.
- Torrey House Press. 2024. ISBN 1948814900
- Ballantine Books. 2024. ISBN 9780593724200
Nonfiction
Books
- Riverbend Publishing. 2012.
- Simon and Schuster. 2017. ISBN 9781632280602
As Editor/Contributor
- Co-editor, contributor. Big Earth Publishing. 2007.
- Co-editor, contributor. Johnson Books. 2007.
- Editor, contributor. University of Oklahoma Press. 2009.
Short stories
The Normal School, Issue 1, 2008. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize- Adapted for Stories on Stage in "A Colorado Collection".
Essays
- " Nominated for a Pushcart.
- Nominated for a Pushcart.
- "The Wild and Urgent Power of Words: Capturing Climate Chaos in Fiction," She Writes, July 2024.
Play
- premiered at . 2018.
In the Media
Interviews
Articles
- "