Carolyn Banks
Carolyn Banks (born February 9, 1941) is an American novelist, short-story writer, editor, and screenwriter residing in Bastrop, Texas.
![](../I/Carolyn_Banks.jpg.webp)
Writing career
20th century
Her first national publication was her short story "Idyll," which appeared in Voyages,[1][2] a literary magazine, in 1968, alongside the work of Anaïs Nin, Josephine Miles and Theodore Weiss. In 1972, the oft-reprinted "Growing Up Polish in Pittsburgh" appeared in American Mix (Lippincott). A version of this story appeared as "The Virgin of Polish Hill" in Plume's 1992 Catholic Girls. Her stories appeared in several issues of Yellow Silk.
Her first novel, Mr. Right (Viking), appeared in 1979.[3] Cosmopolitan called the novel "...a triumph of erotic and witty narrative tension with an impact as startling as it is satisfying." The book was reprinted by The Permanent Press in 1999.
Mr. Right was followed by The Darkroom (Viking, 1980), The Girls on the Row (Crown, 1983) and Patchwork (Crown, 1986).
Her short stories continued to appear in anthologies, notably Michele Slung's I Shudder at Your Touch (HarperCollins, 1992) and Slow Hand (HarperCollins).
In the 1990s Banks wrote a series of comic mysteries set in the equestrian world of dressage, a competitive sport that Banks herself practiced.[3] These novels, originally published by Fawcett[4] and reprinted by Amber Quill Press include: Death by Dressage, Groomed for Death, Death on the Diagonal, Murder Well Bred and A Horse to Die For.[5]
21st century
In 2007, Amber Quill also reprinted a 1995 literary novel Banks wrote entitled The Turtle's Voice.[2] The novel won the 1995 Austin Book Award.[2]
Banks is listed in Contemporary Authors, Vol. 105 and is a member of Author's Guild and the Texas Institute of Letters.
In 2001, Banks co-founded a nonprofit organization called Upstart, Inc.,[2][6] a media arts organization that organises experts to teach screenwriting, production and post-production,[2] and which runs the local public access cable television station, Bastrop Community Access Television.[2] As a result of this, Banks started writing scripts and producing short movies including "Dead On" and "Bastrop: The First 175 Years,"[2] which won Best Documentary at a 2007 South Texas film festival.[2] Since 2014, Banks has taught English for Austin Community College.
In 2009, Banks wrote and directed the comic-horror feature film, Invicta."[7] In 2011, the Austin Film Society awarded Banks a grant from the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund[8] to complete her short comedy, "Sex and the Septuagenarian." She continues to teach screenwriting and production at Upstart in Bastrop.
Bibliography
Novels
- Mr. Right (1979, reprinted 1999)[9][10][11][12][13]
- The Darkroom (1980, reprinted 2014)[14][15][16]
- The Girls on the Row (1983)[17][5][18]
- Patchwork (1986)[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
- Death by Dressage (1993)[4][5][26]
- Groomed for Death (1995)[5][27]
- Murder Well Bred (1995)[5]
- The Turtle's Voice (1995, reprinted 2007)[28]
- Death on the Diagonal (1996)[5]
- A Horse to Die For (1996)[5][29]
Short stories
- Tart Tales: Elegant Erotic Stories (1993)[30]
Anthologies
Books edited
- A Loving Voice: A Caregiver's Book of Read-Aloud Stories for the Elderly (1992, coeditor with Janis Rizzo)[33]
- A Loving Voice II: A Caregiver's Book of More Read-Aloud Stories for the Elderly (1994, coeditor)
Filmography
References
- "Richard Peabody on 3 DC Editors". washingtonart.com. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
- Moore, Debbie (22 November 2012). "Celebrities among us as Bastrop becomes film-friendlier". The Bastrop Advertiser and County News. Bastrop, Texas. p. A4. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Morris, Anne (21 December 1990). "In So Many Words". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. E1, E6. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Briefly noted". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. 27 June 1993. p. E7. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Hagerty, Terry (14 January 2012). "Local author's works a hit in Scandinavia". The Bastrop Advertiser and County News. p. A7. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Staff (12 October 2013). "Upstart co-founder retires after 12 years". The Bastrop Advertiser and County News. p. A3. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Invicta, retrieved 2019-04-29
- "Austin Film". Archived from the original on 2012-01-04.
- Ross, Mitchell S. (11 March 1979). "Fiction: bossism in Louisiana, bloodshed in Chile". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 8, S7. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Brill, Larry (13 June 1999). "Capsule Reviews. 'Mr. Right' By Carolyn Banks". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. K7. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Latta, Gail. "This One Misses Mark". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. p. 27. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Auerbach, Jessica (1979). "Mr. Right (Book review)". Library Journal. 104 (1): 126. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Heller, Amanda (18 April 1999). "Short Takes". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. p. E2. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Pope, Jerry (15 June 1980). "Dread in the 'Dark Room'". The Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. 11G. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Sheehy, Louis G. (1980). "The Darkroom (Book Review)". Library Journal. 105 (11): 1325. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Kilgore, Michael (3 August 1980). "Shopworn Theme Sheds No Light". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. p. 46. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Abrams, Garry (6 November 1983). "Who'll kill Claire, the odd woman out?". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 9, The Book Review. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Stasio, Marilyn (11 December 1983). "The bookshelf / mysteries". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 6. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Brown, Liz (24 May 1986). "Patching theme in thriller". The Indianapolis News. Indianapolis, Indiana. p. 34. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Hinchion, Gail (13 July 1986). "'Patchwork' beats 'Hidden Agenda' as emotion-packed suspense story". The South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. p. 13 michiana. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Foster, Lisa Siegel (14 September 1986). "Title Page. Patchwork, by Carolyn Banks". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 4, The Book Review – via Newspapers.com.
- Dishman, Laura Stewart (10 August 1986). "'Patchwork' is carefully pieced together". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. F9. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Paul, Barbara (24 May 1986). "Mystery fans offered wide variety in 5 new offerings". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. C8. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Moss, Chuck (3 June 1986). "Roundup. Thrillers. From pillar to post". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. p. E2. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Hamilton, Denny (10 August 1986). "'Suspects' will keep, you guessing". Auburn Journal. Auburn, California. UPI. p. 9, Sunday Magazine. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Cogdill, Oline H. (5 December 1993). "Death rocks the horsey set in 'Dressage'". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. 12D. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Rice, Dale (16 April 1995). "Capsule Reviews. Groomed for Death by Carolyn Banks". Austin American-Statesman. p. G7. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Bay, Kathleen Ford (15 September 1995). "Capsule Reviews. The Turtle's Voice, A Mostly Comic Novel of Marriage and Redemption". Austin American-Statesman. p. E8. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Manaster, Jane (22 December 1996). "New in Paperback - 'A Horse to Die For'". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. E7. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Hand, Elizabeth (29 March 1993). "'Tart Tales' of sweet sensuality". The San Francisco Examiner. p. B5. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- Lannon, Linea (26 May 1991). "Title of this anthology gets adults' attention". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. p. 7M. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Kaplan, Lisa Faye (19 July 1992). "Women share their sexual fantasies". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. Gannett News Service. p. 2E. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- Morris, Anne (6 October 1991). "Stories, poems share loving voice". Austin American-Statesman. p. E6. Retrieved 29 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- "River Road Studio | Local films produced in Bastrop, Texas". 2013-04-17. Archived from the original on 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2019-04-29.