Gary Svee
Encyclopedia
Gary Svee is an American
author and journalist, known for his Westerns. He was born in Billings
, Montana
, growing up on the banks of the Yellowstone, Rosebud and Stillwater rivers, and is a graduate of the University of Montana's School of Journalism.
Svee is a former editorial director for the Billings (Montana) Gazette. He was on the newspaper's staff in 1993, when the town suffered a wave of vicious racial and religious hatred. Citizens who attended a Martin Luther King birthday commemoration returned to their cars to find racist literature on them. Swastika
s were painted on a Native-American family's home, Ku Klux Klan
flyers were openly distributed, the Billings Jewish cemetery was descrated and a brick was hurled through the window of a Jewish family whose six year old son put the family's Menorah
in it for Hanukkah
.
The people of Billings banded together, with volunteers re-painting the home and ridding it of the hate-filled graffiti, religious groups held marches and those who were not members of a particular religion began attending other services in addition to their own, to show unity and support for each other. The Billings Gazette printed a full page depiction of a Menorah, asking residents to put the page up in their businesses and homes. Svee related how the image was chosen for the paper, saying, "I guess it was a question of looking for an image to put this together. During the second World War, the Danish King is reputed to have come out after the Jewish community was forced to wear stars by the Nazi occupiers, that he was reported to have come out with a yellow star too."
While hundreds of residents displayed the newspaper's Menorah, the incidents were still occurring. The Billings Chief of Police, Gary Inman, issued a challenge to the town's citizens: for every instance of vandalism, ten more people should display the picture of the Menorah; by the end of December, 1993, there were over 10,000 Menorah images openly displayed in the town. The wave of hatred ended. Svee was one of those who worked with the Institute of Peace at Rocky Mountain College
to start the Festival of Cultures in Billings, which offers residents an opportunity to both celebrate their heritage and learn about the heritage of others.
Svee, a fiction adviser to the Saturday Evening Post, credits his writing ability to being raised in a family of storytellers, and to his mentor and teacher at the University of Montana, Dorothy M. Johnson
. Svee also teaches writing at Montana State University.
Svee's novel Sanctuary won the 1990 Spur Award
given annually by the Western Writers of America
for the best Western novel award. Svee is also the co-author of Script-ease-a guide to writing fiction.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author and journalist, known for his Westerns. He was born in Billings
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, growing up on the banks of the Yellowstone, Rosebud and Stillwater rivers, and is a graduate of the University of Montana's School of Journalism.
Svee is a former editorial director for the Billings (Montana) Gazette. He was on the newspaper's staff in 1993, when the town suffered a wave of vicious racial and religious hatred. Citizens who attended a Martin Luther King birthday commemoration returned to their cars to find racist literature on them. Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
s were painted on a Native-American family's home, Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
flyers were openly distributed, the Billings Jewish cemetery was descrated and a brick was hurled through the window of a Jewish family whose six year old son put the family's Menorah
Menorah
The menorah is described in the Bible as the seven-branched ancient lampstand made of gold and used in the portable sanctuary set up by Moses in the wilderness and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. Fresh olive oil of the purest quality was burned daily to light its lamps...
in it for Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
.
The people of Billings banded together, with volunteers re-painting the home and ridding it of the hate-filled graffiti, religious groups held marches and those who were not members of a particular religion began attending other services in addition to their own, to show unity and support for each other. The Billings Gazette printed a full page depiction of a Menorah, asking residents to put the page up in their businesses and homes. Svee related how the image was chosen for the paper, saying, "I guess it was a question of looking for an image to put this together. During the second World War, the Danish King is reputed to have come out after the Jewish community was forced to wear stars by the Nazi occupiers, that he was reported to have come out with a yellow star too."
While hundreds of residents displayed the newspaper's Menorah, the incidents were still occurring. The Billings Chief of Police, Gary Inman, issued a challenge to the town's citizens: for every instance of vandalism, ten more people should display the picture of the Menorah; by the end of December, 1993, there were over 10,000 Menorah images openly displayed in the town. The wave of hatred ended. Svee was one of those who worked with the Institute of Peace at Rocky Mountain College
Rocky Mountain College
Rocky Mountain College , located in Billings, Montana, is a private comprehensive college offering more than 25 liberal arts- and professionally oriented majors. In fall 2009, the college had 894 enrolled students...
to start the Festival of Cultures in Billings, which offers residents an opportunity to both celebrate their heritage and learn about the heritage of others.
Svee, a fiction adviser to the Saturday Evening Post, credits his writing ability to being raised in a family of storytellers, and to his mentor and teacher at the University of Montana, Dorothy M. Johnson
Dorothy M. Johnson
Dorothy Marie Johnson was an American author best-known for her Western fiction.-Early life:...
. Svee also teaches writing at Montana State University.
Svee's novel Sanctuary won the 1990 Spur Award
Spur Award
The Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:...
given annually by the Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America, founded 1953, promotes literature, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional western fiction, the more than five hundred current members also include historians and other non-fiction writers as well as authors...
for the best Western novel award. Svee is also the co-author of Script-ease-a guide to writing fiction.