Dawn Major received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the Etowah Valley Writing Program at Reinhardt University, a Creative Writing Certification from Emory Continuing Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Kennesaw State University. She completed a mentorship through the Horror Writers Association and was previously awarded a fellowship as the assistant literary editor of the James Dickey Review. Her published work may be found in Five Points-A Journal of Literature and Art, James Dickey Review, Sediments Literary-Arts Journal, Sanctuary Journal, and Family Life Publications. She was awarded the Dr. Robert Driscoll Award for Excellence in Writing on Regional Themes as well as the Faculty Choice Award, also for Excellence in Writing.
In 2019, she served as a panel judge at the Milton Literary Festival-Young Adults Contest. She has done readings with American Sign Language Interpreters as well as a musical program collaboration with musicians which was performed at the Falany Performing Arts Center at Reinhardt University’s 2019 Contemporary Arts Festival. She has participated in Reader’s Theater at Reinhardt University’s Black Box Theatre. She was a presenter at Georgia State University’s 2019 New Voice Graduate Conference where she discussed the methodology and treatment of the supernatural in the works of William Gay. She collaborated with Oakland Cemetery for Sunday in the Park–writing scripts for a living history project where the ghostly residents came to life to tell their stories. She writes poetry-themed radio scripts for melodically challenged which airs on Album 88, college radio, and she has also appeared on NPR- Dante’s Old South. She has lectured and taught creative writing workshops. She participating in the Wren’s Nest Scribes program, a one-on-one mentoring for middle school children, teaching them to write creative fiction–the children’s short stories debut in an anthology during the Decatur Book Festival. She is currently providing editorial assistance on a collection of short stories, essays and reviews authored by William Gay and works with the William Gay Archive.
She recently finished her first novel, titled The Bystanders, a collection of interconnected narratives linked together by theme, town, and characters. She is seeking publication of this work while simultaneously working on a literary horror novel titled, A Dark Coincidence, also a collection of short stories organized by theme and structured within a frame narrative. She is a member of Atlanta Writers Club and actively participates in annual writing conferences and critique groups. She is looking forward to presenting at GSU’s Lost Southern Voices Festival in March of 2020 on William Gay’s painting and prose.
