Dennis Covington
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Brief Biography
Dennis Covington was a native of Birmingham, Alabama. He pursued his passion for writing at the University of Virginia and earned his bachelor’s degree. After serving in the United States Army, Covington furthered his education by completing an MFA at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Covington then returned to Birmingham, teaching English and engaging in theater. In 1983, he began working as a war correspondent, taking many trips to El Salvador over the course of six years. 1991 marked the publication of his first novel, Lizard, which he began while completing his MFA. In 1995, he ventured into nonfiction and wrote the acclaimed book Salvation on Sand Mountain. Covington joined Texas Tech University in 2004 as a creative writing professor, and he became a columnist for The American Scholar in 2017. He died in 2024 from complications of dementia.
Publications
Lizard. New York; Delacorte Press, 1991.
Lasso the Moon.New York; Delacorte Press, 1995.
Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Salvation in Southern Appalachia. Reading, Mass.; Addison-Wesley, 1995.
Redneck Riviera: Armadillos, Outlaws, and the Demise of an American Dream. New York; Counterpoint, 2004.
Revelation: A Search for Faith in a Violent Religious World. New York; Little, Brown, 2016.
Joint Publication:
Cleaving: The Story of a Marriage.New York; North Point Press, 1999.
Lasso the Moon.New York; Delacorte Press, 1995.
Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Salvation in Southern Appalachia. Reading, Mass.; Addison-Wesley, 1995.
Redneck Riviera: Armadillos, Outlaws, and the Demise of an American Dream. New York; Counterpoint, 2004.
Revelation: A Search for Faith in a Violent Religious World. New York; Little, Brown, 2016.
Joint Publication:
Cleaving: The Story of a Marriage.New York; North Point Press, 1999.
Themes
Dennis Covington was a journalist and writer of fiction and nonfiction. He was known for writing about the South and his personal life. His fiction involves coming-of-age themes like family.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Covington, Dennis, “Dennis Covington,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/565.