C.A. SCHAEFER

writer | editor | instructor 

I'm C.A. (Camie) Schaefer, a writer and editor based in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I write and edit fiction, nonfiction, and scientific texts. I hold a doctoral degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Utah. 

 

My first rule for myself is borrowed from Ellen Meloy's rules for living in the desert. Stay curious. My past and present work has led me to explore medical narratives to scientific research, from historical dress to art and art history, from war history to neurology.  I often write in shades of magical realism and the fantastic, which I see as a means to disrupt and rebuild our perceptions of the world. My work often returns to people and places in the past. Other research interests include writing the body, science and medical writing, disability theory, LGBTQIA studies, and gender studies. 

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My work as a scientific & technical writer is intrinsically joined with my work as a fiction writer: I work on scientific manuscripts, grant applications, and instructional material with a focus on storytelling and narrative. I also have a background in publishing and am a former editor of Quarterly West.