Lyon, Steve 1951-

PERSONAL:

Born August 19, 1951, in West Covina, CA; son of Joseph Lyon (a newspaper columnist); mother a homemaker; married June 3, 1972; wife's name George Ella (a writer); children: Benjamin, Joseph. Education: Centre College, B.A., 1972. Politics: Independent. Hobbies and other interests: Reading.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Lexington, KY. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Freelance writer, composer, and musical performer, 1972—. Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Nicholasville, KY, music director, 2000—.

MEMBER:

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Kentucky Arts Council, Al Smith fellow in musical composition, 1985, 1997, grant 2005; Golden Kite Honor Book citation, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, 2005, for The Gift Moves.

WRITINGS:

The Gift Moves (juvenile science fiction novel), Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2004.

SIDELIGHTS:

Steve Lyon told CA: "I've worked as a composer, performer, and producer of music for most of my working life, in both the United States and Europe. My novel The Gift Moves began as a song lyric that just wanted to grow. My wife, writer George Ella Lyon, said that the beginnings of the lyric sounded more like a story than a song, and with that encouragement I began to follow the characters into their story. As I wrote, I found myself drawing on my childhood love of science fiction, particularly the thrill and wonder of walking in worlds different from our own.

"Since publishing The Gift Moves I've continued to write fiction while composing and performing music. I'm working on a fantasy novel adults about a librarian who is trying to piece together a manuscript she found in a dumpster.

"The combination of working as a performer and a writer has been liberating for me, and I feel more fulfilled and present in both activities together than I ever felt when I was working solely in music."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2004, Jennifer Mattson, review of The Gift Moves, p. 1720.

Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2004, review of The Gift Moves, p. 397.

Publishers Weekly, May 10, 2004, review of The Gift Moves, p. 59.

School Library Journal, June, 2004, Sharon Rawlins, review of The Gift Moves, p. 148.