Carol Bly

Carol Bly (April 16, 1930-December 21, 2007) was an award-winning author of essays, short stories, and two nonfiction works on creative writing. She received her B.A. in English and History from Wellesley College in 1951 and went to graduate school at the University of Minnesota. She later taught at the University of Minnesota, Carleton College, Hamline University, the Vermont Studio Center, and Centrum. She lived and worked on the farm she and her then-husband, author Robert Bly, owned, but she also found time to manage several literary journals and write a column for the Minnesota Public Radio Magazine.

In addition to articles, Bly wrote short stories, many letters, books on writing, and she completed a novel before her death. Her stories often dealt with current events in realistic ways, and Bly is remembered for her well-developed characters. She received several awards and distinctions throughout her lifetime including a Minnesota Book Award for The Passionate, Accurate Story in 1991, the University of Minnesota’s Edelstein-Keller Distinguished Minnesota Author in 1998-99, and the 2001 Minnesota Humanities Award for Literature.

More information on Carol Bly from the Minnesota Historical Society.