Raymond Abbott
Raymond Abbott | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 21, 1942 Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Author, Novelist |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Known for | Novels, especially about Native American themes |
Raymond Abbott (born April 21, 1942) is an American author known for his novels.
Biography
Born on April 21, 1942, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Raymond Herbert Abbott is the son of Myron E., who worked in the shipping industry, and Evelyn (née Foley). He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1965 and later undertook graduate coursework at the University of Kentucky between 1967 and 1968. Abbott is affiliated with the Authors Guild and currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Between 1965 and 1966, Abbott volunteered at the Rosebud Indian Reservation, followed by his role as community development director for the Sioux tribe’s Transitional Housing Program at Rosebud from 1966 to 1967. He taught elementary school in Lost Creek, Kentucky during 1967–68 and also worked as a social worker across various locations including Louisville (1967–68), Pittsfield, Massachusetts (1969–70), South End Boston (1970–73), and Newburyport beginning in 1973.
Awards
- Recipient of the NEA Grant in 1979
- Honored with the Whiting Award in 1985
Works
- Death Dances: Two Novellas on North American Indians (Apple-wood Press, 1979)
- That Day in Gordon: A Novel (Vanguard Press, 1986)
- Black Hills Summer (Strathmoor Press, 2003)
- My Life Among the Indians (Strathmoor Press, 2005)
- Indian Stories (Strathmoor Press, 2006)
- Crazy Horse's Bones (Strathmoor Press, 2014)
Abbott has contributed writings to publications such as the North American Review, KevinMD, Blue Cloud Quarterly, and Phoenix.
Quotes
"My primary inspiration ... for my first three novels derived from several years spent living on a Sioux reservation in South Dakota.... My goal is to become an accomplished storyteller."