Deborah Savage
25 Country Club Road, Greenfield, MA 01301
Phone: 413-658-7087 Email: dgsavage73@gmail.com
EDUCATION
- MFA in Writing: Goddard College (Plainfield, VT)
- Bachelor’s Degree in Individual Concentration (Writing and Illustration): University of Massachusetts at Amherst (Amherst, MA)
PUBLICATIONS
Novels
- KOTUKU (Houghton Mifflin, 2002)
- SUMMER HAWK (Houghton Mifflin, 1999)
- UNDER A DIFFERENT SKY (Houghton Mifflin, 1997)
- TO RACE A DREAM (Houghton Mifflin, 1994)
- A STRANGER CALLS ME HOME (Houghton Mifflin, 1992)
- FLIGHT OF THE ALBATROSS (Houghton Mifflin, 1988)
- A RUMOUR OF OTTERS (HarperCollins 1984; Houghton Mifflin 1986)
Poetry
- Dark Horse Magazine: “The Ice Man”
- Spectrum Magazine: “Russian Dissidents”
- Cross Currents Magazine: “The Price of Lamb”
Articles
- Contributor/Co-Editor: Spectrum Magazine (University of Massachusetts undergraduate Literary Arts Magazine)
- Contributing Editor: Teaching and Learning Literature with Children and Young Adults: “When a Writer Visits a Classroom;” “Stepping Into Historical Fiction;” “Between the Cracks: Finding a Place for Young Adult Literature”
- Hoofbeats Magazine: “Finding the Magic in a Fast Brown Horse”
Publication Awards
- American Library Association Notable Book Award
- Boston Authors Book Club Award
- New York Public Library Best Book for Teens Award
- Boston Public Library Best Books Award
- Texas Reading Association Best Books Award
- School Library Journal Book Selection
- Parent’s Choice Magazine Remarkable Book for Literature
- Preis de Leserratten/Reading Rats Prize (German children’s literature award)
- Starred book reviews: Kirkus; Booklist; School Library Journal; VOYA; Publisher’s Weekly
FILM
- FritzWagner Filmproduktion (Germany) / Top Shelf Productions (New Zealand): Cinema film FLIGHT OF THE ALBATROSS. Screenplay by Riwia Brown; adapted from the novel by Deborah Savage. Winner “Golden Bear” Children’s Film Award, Berlin International Film Festival
MURALS; EXHIBIT DESIGNS; ILLUSTRATIONS
Book and Poster Illustration
- SURVIVING THE ISLAND OF GRACE, by Leslie Leyland Fields (St. Martins Press, 2002): Woodcut illustrations
- THE WATER UNDER FISH, ibid (Trout Creek Press, 2000): Woodcut illustrations
- Vermont Magazine (Middlebury, VT): Watercolor illustrations
- Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (Brewster, MA): Woodcut poster, awarded National Museum Association Publication Award of Merit
- New Zealand Planning Quarterly (Auckland, New Zealand): Woodcut cover illustrations
- Crosscurrents Magazine (Hamilton, New Zealand): Woodcut cover illustration
- Amherst Book and Plow Festival (Amherst, MA): Woodcut posters
- Miniature Theater of Chester (Chester, MA): Pen and Ink poster
- National Association of Storytellers Annual Conference: Woodcut poster
Exhibits; Murals; Museum Exhibit Designs
- Discovery Center (Turner’s Falls, MA):Paintings from Edge Lands series exhibit
- The Children’s Museum at Holyoke (Holyoke, MA): The Connecticut River at the Holyoke Dam mural
- Hitchcock Center for the Environment (Amherst, MA): Recycling in the Natural World murals; Connecticut River Alphabet poster
- Nuestras Raices/Tierra de Opportunidads Farm (Holyoke, MA): Nature Trail signs and maps; Entrance Kiosk paintings
- Holyoke Merry-Go-Round (Holyoke, MA): Birthday Room Carousel Horses mural
- Hadley Family Practice (Hadley, MA): Carousel Animals mural
- Amherst Public Housing Authority (Amherst, MA): Amherst Farmer’s Market mural
- Greenfield Community College (Greenfield, MA): 40th Anniversary Reunion mural
- The Hotchkiss School (Lakeville, CT): Natural History of Lake Wononskopomuc exhibit
- Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (Brewster, MA): Natural History of the Cape school outreach exhibits
- Pratt Museum of Natural History at Amherst College (Amherst, MA): Geology Department murals
- White Memorial Conservation Area Visitor’s Center (Litchfield, CT): En Plein Air Watercolors from Scotland exhibit
- Northfield Mountain Conservation an Recreation Area Visitor’s Center (Northfield, MA): Woodcut prints exhibit
- Berkshire Museum (Pittsfield, MA): Native American mural
- Montour County Wildlife Preserve Visitor’s Center (Washingtonville, PA): Bird Identification Key drawings; Nature Trail sign drawings
- Sharon Audubon Center (Sharon, CT): Natural history exhibits
- Auckland Institute and Museum (Auckland, New Zealand): Nations of the Pacific mural; Animals A-Z exhibit design/paintings
- University of Massachusetts at Amherst (MA) Theater Department; The Hotchkiss School (Lakeville, CT) Drama Department: Scenic Painter
ART and CREATIVE WRITING PROJECTS with YOUTH
- Greenfield Recreation Department (Greenfield, MA): Welcome to Greenfield youth mural project
- Wistariahurst Museum (Holyoke, MA): Programming Committee Member: Creating Holyoke Collaborative History Project, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mural Project Artist/Coordinator: Windows Into History youth public mural project
- One Book Holyoke Project (Holyoke, MA): Artist: OBH Project woodcut logo design. OBH Committee member. Course Instructor: One Book Holyoke Project
- Holyoke Community College; Holyoke Juvenile Probation Department; The Children’s Museum at Holyoke (Holyoke, MA): Community Service Learning Faculty Scholar Collaborative Project Designer/Coordinator: WritingLIVE! youth creative writing project. Artist/Project Designer/ Team Facilitator: Transformations/Transformaciones collaborative youth mural project, funded by a grant from Community Foundation of Western Mass
- Holyoke Housing Authority (Holyoke, MA): Artist/Project Designer: Lyman Terrace Fantasy River World and Train of Pride youth public mural projects. Awarded Massachusetts Chapter NAHRO (National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials) Outstanding Agency Award and NAHRO Award of Merit in Housing and Community Development
- Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke (Holyoke, MA): Artist/Project Designer: Blue Wall Playground youth mural project
- Hitchcock Center for the Environment (Amherst, MA): Artist: Sawmill River Alphabet youth art project. Instructor: Nature Journals for Young People youth art workshops
- Great Falls Middle School (Turners Falls, MA): Artist/Project Designer: Connecticut River Wildlife and Underwater Fantasy youth mural projects
- Hampshire Educational Collaborative (Turners Falls, MA): Artist/Project Designer: 21st Century After-School Program in Art
- Holyoke City Hall (Holyoke, MA): Artist/Project Designer: Doorways of Holyoke and Breaking Into Holyoke youth public mural projects.
- Holyoke Public Schools (Holyoke, MA): Artist/Creative Consultant: Connections Summer and After-School Programs Science and the Environment project
- Children’s Museum at Holyoke (Holyoke, MA): Coordinator: Museum Junior Volunteer Program. Artist/Project Designer: Wildlife Around the World and Canal Monster youth mural/art projects.
CREATIVE WRITING and ART RESIDENCIES in SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES
- The Hotchkiss School (Lakeville, CT); Bloomsburg Regional High School (Bloomsburg, PA); Wilbraham Middle School (Wilbraham, MA); West Elementary School (Andover, MA); Saint Bernard Central Catholic High School (Fitchburg, MA); Erving Elementary School (Erving, MA); South Hadley Middle School (So. Hadley, MA); The Hackley School (Tarrytown, NY); JKF Middle School (Northampton, MA); Salisbury Central School (Salisbury, CT); Barnstable Middle School (Barnstable, MA); Athol Middle School (Athol, MA); Brookline Area Schools (Brookline, MA); Boston, Greenfield, South Hadley and Maynard Public Library Reading Programs (MA)
WRITER-IN-RESIDENCIES and CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
- International Federation of Teachers of English Conference at Auckland Teacher’s College (Auckland, New Zealand): Speaker; Panel Member
- New England Young Writer’s Conference at Bread Loaf, Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT): Creative Writing Seminar instructor
- Hollins University Graduate Summer Program and Lecture Series (Roanoke, VA): Writer-in-Residence; Speaker
- Gainesville Summer Writing Conference (Gainesville, FL): Writer-in-Residence
- Vermont College Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children (Montpelier, VT): Visiting lecturer
- University of Prince Edward Island Literature of Small Islands Conference (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island): Speaker/Presenter
- Mid-Atlantic Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference (Roanoke, VA): Speaker/Presenter
- Massachusetts Library Association Annual Conference (Hyannis, MA): Speaker
- Annual Symposium of Authors and Illustrators of Children’s Books (Burlington, VT): Speaker
- Cape Cod Writer’s Conference (Hyannis, MA): Speaker/Presenter
- Pennwriter’s Conference (York, PA): Speaker
- Bloomsburg University Literature for Young Adults Conference (Bloomsburg, PA): Speaker/Presenter
- University of Massachusetts Perspectives in Children’s Literature Conference (Amherst, MA): Speaker
- Massachusetts Association for Educational Media Annual Conference (Springfield, MA): Speaker
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Multicultural Seminar (North Adams, MA): Speaker
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
- Greenfield Public Schools (Greenfield, MA); Gill-Montague Public Schools (Turner's Falls, MA): Academic Tutor, Grades 1-12
- Westfield State College (Westfield, MA): Instructor: English Composition; World Literature
- Holyoke Community College (Holyoke, MA): Instructor: English Composition and Literature; Developmental Reading and Writing; Children’s Literature
- Mount Wachusett Community College (Gardner, MA): Instructor: English Composition
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (North Adams, MA): Instructor: English Composition; Creative Writing/Young Adult Literature; Writing/Study Skills
- Berkshire Country Day Secondary School (Lenox, MA): Teacher: English; Studio Art; Theater Arts. Advisor: Student literary magazine. Curriculum Development (English). Tutor: Writing and Reading skills
- University of Massachusetts (Amherst, MA): Tutor: Learning Disabled Students Services, College Writing, Reading, Study Skills
- The Forman School (Litchfield, CT): Teacher: English and Art. Tutor: Writing, Study Skills, Reading. English curriculum development. Advisor, student literary magazine. Residential faculty