Markay Brown

Born in Idaho during World War II, Markay graduated magna cum laude from BYU in 1989 where she met her husband, fellow poet, and writer, Nad Richard Brown. Together they have published two books of poetry, Blended, a collection, and Behind the Red Door, poems written from their experiences living in Russia as humanitarian missionaries. 

Markay received first place in the 2014 Utah Arts Original Writing Competition, book-length poetry, judged by Richard Howard, professor at Columbia University. Her poems have appeared in Utah Voices, Sand & Sky, Segullah, Provo Orem Word, 15 Bytes, Encore, Dove Song, Southern Quill, and elsewhere. She has received awards for individual poems from Red Butte Gardens, Segullah, Utah Original Writing CompetitionUtah State Poetry Society and the National Federation of Poetry Societies. In 2019 she was named Utah State Poetry Society’s poet of the year, winning their publication award for her book, Planted in a Storm

Currently, she is president of Redrock Writers, has served as a member of the Tuacahn Guild, and on the board of directors for the St. George Literary Arts Festival.

She and her husband live in St. George, and are parents of five sons, grandparents to thirteen. Family, friends, books, music, writing and walking in the red rocks make her happy. Quoting a poet friend, Markay explains, “I write because I don’t drink.”

Work

Bibliography

Planted in a Storm, Utah State Poetry Society, 2019  

Links

Segullah Podcast

15 Bytes

Association of Mormon Letters

 

Additional Info

  • Region: Southwestern Utah
  • Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction
  • Tags: Women