About Beth

At fourteen, Beth started an original project that became the base of her "old stories" pile. She continued writing all through high school, considering it more of a hobby than anything, until her English teacher started encouraging her poetry. Beth entered some poetry in a few high-school-level contests and did admirably, but her real love was fiction.

Her junior year of high school, Beth took a writing class in New Orleans that left her more than a little grumpy. Though she considered the class and her classmates a private utopia, personal and philosophical differences with the two head teachers drove her to quit the class and embark on a few years of soul-searching.

While searching her soul, Beth joined her brother at a private Christian university and, of course, had the foresight to dress as a cow for Halloween. This caught the eye of a cute guy dressed as Indiana Jones. And his group of friends caught Beth's eye: Squall Leonhart, Chairface Chippendale, and a giant daisy.

Two years later, the cow married Indiana Jones. A year after that, she graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Bible. Now they work from a cozy Minnesota apartment with a crazy cat and a mild World of Warcraft addiction. Beth's husband programs websites while she writes.

Art by Julie.

Publications by Beth

• "What Makes a Hero." St. Charles Herald-Guide. Saturday, November 10, 2001.
• "Fire for the Lord." Harding University's The Bison. October 25, 2002.

Articles About Beth

• Gray, Leonard. "Teen Spotlight: Blevins recognized for outstanding writing ability." L'Observateur. Wednesday, October 31, 2001. Please note that I got details about the contest wrong. "School write-off" isn't accurate. We wrote timed essays in school to send in with an additional packet of work to be judged.
• Blevins, Elizabeth. "What Makes a Hero." St. Charles Herald-Guide. Saturday, November 10, 2001. The timed essay that Mr. Gray's article referenced. I only had an hour or two to write it, so forgive me if it could be better.

Education

• High School Degree, 3.86 GPA
• 1 semester at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA: Riverfront)
• BA in English / Minor in Bible, 3.89 GPA

College Honors

• Sigma Tau Delta
• Alpha Chi
• Dean's List
• Honors College Member

Awards

• Finalist, Letters for Literature (?? Year)
• Finalist, 2000 River of Words Poetry Contest
• Finalist, National Council of Teachers of English 2001 Achievement Awards in Writing
• 2nd Place, 2001-02 Louisiana State English III
• 2nd Place, Harding University's 2005-06 Jo Cleveland Creative Writing Contest, Nonfiction

Honorable Mentions

I was told in 11th grade that I was "one of the most promising poets of my age group" by the poet laureate of Utah.