Desjarlais, John 1953–

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Desjarlais, John 1953–

(John J. Desjarlais)

PERSONAL:

Born March 19, 1953, in Bad Kreuznach, Germany; U.S. citizen; son of Alfred Joseph (a U.S. military surgical nurse) and Emma Elsie (a homemaker) Desjarlais; married Virginia Louise Wolff (a social worker), August 26, 1978; children: Matthew. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: University of Wisconsin—Madison, B.A., 1976; attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 1982; Columbia University, M.A., 1984; Illinois State University, M.A., 1995. Religion: Presbyterian.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Byron, IL. Office—Kishwaukee College, 21193 Malta Rd., Malta, IL 60150; fax: 815-825-2072. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

2100 Productions, Madison, WI, associate producer, 1984-93; University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, instructor in writing, 1990-93; Illinois State University, Normal, instructor in writing, 1993-95; Kishwaukee College, Malta, IL, instructor in writing, 1995—.

MEMBER:

Mystery Writers of America, National Council of Teachers of English, Conference on College Composition and Communication, College Media Advisers, Illinois Community College Journalism Association.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Gold Medal, International Multi-Image Festival, 1980, for Habakkuk; first prize in fiction category, Phidian Art Society of Illinois, 2006, for "Assisted Living."

WRITINGS:

The Throne of Tara (fiction), Crossway (Westchester, IL), 1990.

(Under name John J. Desjarlais) Relics (fiction), Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1993.

Creator of multi-image production Habakkuk. Columnist, Student Leadership Journal. Contributor of essays, poetry, and short stories to periodicals, including On Being, Critic, Upper Room, Apocalypse, Rockford Review, New Pantagruel, and Karitos Review.

SIDELIGHTS:

John Desjarlais once told CA: "I write in longhand on legal pads in black pen, sometimes with a mechanical pencil. I work best very early in the morning at my roll-top desk for a two-hour block of time. Completing two pages is a good day. Once my handwritten corrections, additions, and cross-outs become nearly illegible, it's time to type on a computer. I then print and edit the hard copy in pencil, retype, print, edit, and so on."