DARCY PATTISON

BIOGRAPHY I BOOKS I PRESENTATIONS I BOOK ORDERING

Darcy Pattison writes both picture books and novels. In her latest book, See the book trailer of her latest book, Prairie Storms, illustrated by Kathleen Rietz. In Prairie Storms, a typical storm is featured for each month as well as a prairie animal in its normal habitat, and the prairie's ecosytem is explored through its weather, especially its storms. In The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman, illustrated by Jose Cepeda, a man made of wood takes a remarkable journey across America. Told through the postcards and letters of those he meets along the way, The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman is, according to Publishers Weekly, "part geography lesson, part cross-country travelogue . . . [a] warm tale that ends in a family reunion." As Kirkus puts it, "all geography lessons should be this much fun." Her other children's books include River Dragon, an original folktale that draws on Chinese dragon lore, and The Wayfinder, "an adventure book set against a fantasy background  . . . a well plotted tale that will have young readers speedily flipping pages" (Children's Literature).

Darcy has also written about writing for Writer's Digest, the SCBWI Bulletin and several editions of the annual Children's Writers & Illustrators Market (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003). Darcy served as Arkansas Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for five years, from 1991-96. She is currently serving her eleventh year as the Director of the AR-SCBWI "Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference." From 1995-2001, she was the Children's Book Reviewer for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the largest statewide newspaper. She is a member of the Author's Guild.

Her profiles, how-to's, patterns and other articles have appeared in quilting magazines including Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, Traditional Quiltworks, Quilting Today, American Quilter, Patchwork Quilt Tsushin, and Miniature Quilts. She taught quilting at the Arkansas Art Center for five years. Darcy's quilts have been shown nationally and cover art for her quilt, "Houses and Stars" was on the cover of Quilting Today (September 1991). Twice her quilts have hung in the seven-state Regional Craft Biennial at the Arkansas Art Center. She is a member of the Arkansas Quilter's Guild, the International Quilters Association and American Quilters Society.

With a B.A. from the University of Arkansas and an M.A. from Kansas State University, Darcy is currently a professor in the Department of Writing at the University of Central Arkansas.

She lives in North Little Rock, AR with her husband and four children.