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. In 2020, she completed a mentorship through the Horror Writers Association with Tim Waggoner. She was previously awarded a fellowship as the assistant literary editor of the James Dickey Review. In 2019, her nonfiction piece “White Trash” won the Dr. Robert Driscoll Award for Excellence in Writing on Regional Themes and her short story “Nativity” won the Faculty Choice Award from her MFA program also for Excellence in Writing. 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 recently finished her first novel, titled The Bystanders, a collection of interconnected narratives linked together by theme, town, and characters which will debut in the fall of 2021. She is a member of Atlanta Writers Club and actively participates in annual writing conferences and monthly critique groups. She blogs about her writing adventures and misadventures and also advocates for Southern authors on her website: www.dawn.major.com.In the past few years, Dawn has turned her attention to the literary horror genre and is steadily working on her novel, A Dark Coincidence.
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 who interpreted and performed her piece “The Gordy Hall Haunting” 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 to write scripts for their Sunday in the Park event–a living history project where the ghostly residents come to life to tell their stories. She writes poetry-themed radio scripts for melodically challenged which airs on GSU’s Album 88, college radio, and she has also appeared on NPR- Dante’s Old South. She has lectured and taught creative writing workshops. She participated 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 has provided editorial assistance a collection of short stories, essays and reviews authored by William Gay and works closely with the William Gay Archive, advocating for William Gay.
The Five Points Podcast recently interviewed her regarding William Gay’s writing, artwork and life which should air soon. She is looking forward to working with the screenwriter, Joseph Tidwell III, on a movie adaptation of Gay’s novella, Fugitives of the Heart.
