Lela E. Buis facts for kids

Lela E. Buis is a speculative fiction writer, playwright, poet and artist who was born in Middlesboro, KY. She graduated from Florida State University (FSU) and the Florida Institute of Technology, and worked in engineering for a number of years at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. She currently resides in Tennessee.

Background

Lela Buis was born the elder of two daughters of Joseph N. and Lena Grace Buis. When Joe was discharged from the army after World War II, the couple took ownership of a Century Farm in Claiborne County, Tennessee. Lela Buis attended Claiborne County High School, and as a child was active in farm related organizations such as 4-H clubs. At FSU she worked in research on Computer Assisted Instruction was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies and was active in Yoshukai Karate. She performed with the Florida State University Dance Theatre, and from 1983 served as president of the Titusville, Florida, non-profit Community Dance Theater. From 2001-2003, she was active in the Brevard Playwrights Workshop. In the East Tennessee area, Buis marketed her art and writing at local arts festivals.

Writing career

Buis' first listed short story sale in the science fiction and fantasy genre was in 1991. She often writes fiction inclusive of minorities. From 1992 to 2002, she served as director of The Best of Soft Science Fiction Contest. From 2002-2003 she served as editor of the online literary and arts magazine Proteus Review, published by Brevard Community College. Her short stories, poems and articles have appeared in science fiction and fantasy publications including Galaxy, Thirteenth Moon, Star*line and others. That Ridge Press has recently released collections of her short stories and poetry.

Buis is a member of the Knoxville Writers Guild, the Tennessee Mountain Writers, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Science Fiction Poetry Association.

Awards

• 2017 Knoxville Writers’ Guild Autumn Contest 2017 - 2nd place for "Leaving"
• FSPA Glidden Award 2020 - Honorable Mention for "Mama Has Gone Off the Deep End Again"
• Poetry Society of Tennessee January 2021 Contest - 2nd place for "Starman Drives"