Dorothy Van Soest
Author | Seattle, Washington |
Website
Dorothy Van Soest is a writer, social worker, political and community activist, as well as a retired professor and university dean who holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and a Masters and Ph.D. in Social Work. She is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington with a research-based publication r.... more
Dorothy Van Soest is a writer, social worker, political and community activist, as well as a retired professor and university dean who holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and a Masters and Ph.D. in Social Work. She is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington with a research-based publication record of nine books and over fifty journal articles, essays, and book chapters that tackle complex and controversial issues related to violence, oppression, and injustice. Her novel, Just Mercy, coming in Fall 2014 from Apprentice House, was informed by her widely acclaimed investigation of the lives of thirty-seven men who were executed by Texas in 1997 and inspired by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Victim Offender Restorative Mediation Dialogue program. It personalizes the topic of the death penalty through a heart-wrenching and ultimately redemptive family drama of forgiveness, destiny, and the true nature of justice. Dorothy Van Soest lives in Seattle, Washington where she is currently working on her next novel, a mystery that grew out of her experiences with the child welfare system.