Camille Parker

Bewildering Stories biography

to Bewildering Stories bibliography

I graduated from Texas Tech University in May 2006 with a degree in English Literature and Philosophy, but alas, I found creative writing to be better than all the other stuff. To the three creative writing professors who instigated my obsession: To Dr. William Wenthe, who taught me some poetry, I have to say — you write it well. To Dennis Covington, thanks for the beautiful book you wrote, full of creepy snakes, Salvation on Sand Mountain. To Dr. Stephen Graham Jones: thank you for letting me know that real fiction is not snobby, elitist stuff but can be full of werewolves and hybrid genre types like spiritual comedies and zombie westerns. Now I have something more to like besides Yeats.

To my parents: moving me to Saudi Arabia was a good move — I’ll take care of you in your old age with all the money I’m going to make as a writer of Saudi stuff.

I currently live in Lubbock, Texas, and am going to get married to my fiancé, Scott, as soon as possible. I am working on a novel about a girl who lives in Saudi Arabia and runs into ghosts and the resurrected, Jones-style.

My short story, “Muttawain,” is my first published piece. It recently won the Newton Award at Texas Tech University. The Robert S. Newton award for creative writing is awarded to outstanding creative writing students from the university’s creative writing program, either undergraduate or graduate. Selected by the Texas Tech creative writing faculty, the work chosen for the award is considered the most excellent piece written in the program that academic year. Prof. Covington, for whose class I wrote the story, nominated it to a panel — the creative writing faculty — which subsequently presented the award (which is given annually).