Laurie Winn Carlson

Born in Sonora, California, Laurie Winn Carlson has enjoyed living in a variety of western communities. As a teenager she moved to northern Idaho, later graduating from the University of Idaho with a degree in home economics. In the mid-1980s she and her family moved to Arizona where she earned a Master's degree from Arizona State University. While there teaching elementary school she began writing children’s books, a successful endeavor that led her to quit the day job and move back to Idaho. After a few more books (and years) she moved to eastern Washington and began writing history, earning a Master's degree in history at Eastern Washington University. Her thesis won the 1999 Best Thesis Award from the Western Association of Graduate Schools, and was published as A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of New England’s Witch Trials (1999). Following that she began doctoral work in history at Washington State University, while publishing several other books of serious history as well as works for children. She has published twenty books and several articles.

Variety is her hallmark. From picture books to serious history and science writing, Carlson brings a unique viewpoint to her work. A believer in cross-disciplinary thinking, her books bring together wide-ranging sources to synthesize original interpretations. She approaches life and writing creatively, with a passion for knowledge and a desire to “connect the dots” as one of her college students put it.

Carlson and her husband Terry live in Oregon's Willamette Valley, raising chickens, dairy goats, and grandson Brian.

Between books she teaches history and writing classes at local universities.

Some reviewers’ comments about her work:

Seduced by the West:

“a valuable contribution to ongoing debates about what kind of nation we have been and will be in the future.”
“One comes away from her narrative with a greater appreciation of the normal, human dimensions of the nation’s westward march.”

--Publishers Weekly

“This provocative book is well written and documented... recommended for libraries wanting a single-volume treatment of a complex topic.”
Cattle: An Informal Social History

“a riveting read...a fully referenced academic study of the relationship of cows and humans, but presented in a way that really makes the reader think.”
“Carlson’s topical approach enables her to make refreshing connections between history and present-day issues that might otherwise go unmade.”

--Western Historical Quarterly

A Fever in Salem

“Carlson’s study is meticulously researched, and the author marshals her arguments with clarity and persuasive force.”