Nancy Rawles

Nancy Rawles is the author of three novels. Love Like Gumbo won an American Book Award for its portrayal of a lesbian daughter’s struggle for independence from her warm but suffocating family. Crawfish Dreams tells the story of an elder’s coming to terms with the devastation of her community and the depression of her offspring and was selected for the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Program. My Jim tells the story of the wife and children of Mark Twain’s famous slave character from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. My Jim is the winner of American Library Association’s Alex Award for adult books that appeal to teen readers. Nancy has also received a Jack Straw Productions Artist Project Award, a King County Arts Commission Special Projects Award, a Seattle Arts Commission Seattle Artist Award, and a 2012 CityArtisty Project grant, among others. Nancy was featured in the April 2008 issue of Seattle Woman magazine.

Nancy also received GAP Awards in 1991, 1997 and 1998, and a Fellowship in 1994 from Artist Trust.

As part of her Fellowship’s Meet the Artist requirements, Nancy held an event at the Edmonds Community College Creative Retirement Institute that was enlightening and enjoyable. The participants were inquisitive and enthusiastic adult educators, tutors, librarians, and fellow writers. The intimate group was small yet mighty; they asked enormously insightful questions about making choices as an artist. Nancy reports, “I feel I got more out of it than anybody. It’s so important for me to spend time with older writers who are excited about their work and generous with their insights. When I received the Fellowship from Artist Trust, it was a real boost to my sagging career and waning confidence. Now, things are looking up again. and that has everything to do with the confidence Artist Trust placed in me when I most need it. I’m happy to share my experience with others; we keep each other going.”