Hampton, Virginia, United States
Laurie Jean Carter was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. She enlisted in the Army soon after high school and settled in Fort Campbell, Kentucky after receiving an honorable discharge. She earned a B.A. and M.A. in Languages and Literature at Austin Peay State University and a Doctorate of Philosophy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She also completed an MFA in Creative Writing, CNF, at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Laurie Jean has published several personal essays and articles in anthologies and journals. Her memoir Crave: Sojourn of a Hungry Soul was published with Etruscan Press November 2015. “Nowhere Man” is an excerpt from the memoir. Laurie Jean is also a motivational speaker and has given keynote addresses on women’s issues, women in the military, domestic violence, and turning personal pain into narrative. Most recently, she presented at West Point.
Crave: Sojourn of a Hungry Soul (November 2015)