Larson, Ellen 1953-

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LARSON, Ellen 1953-

PERSONAL: Born July 18, 1953, in White Plains, NY; daughter of James (an industrial engineer) and Jane (a manager; maiden name, Baker) Larson. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Windham College, B.A., 1973; attended State University of New York—Albany, 1986-87; California State University—Dominguez Hills, M.A., 1995. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and other interests: Tennis, computers, travel.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Savvy Press, 473 17th St., Suite 6, Brooklyn, NY 11215-6226. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Freelance editor in Cairo, Egypt, 1991—. Poisoned Pen Press, Scottsdale, AZ, editor, 2002-03. Maadi Women's Tennis League, secretary, 2001—.

MEMBER: Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime.

AWARDS, HONORS: Award for best short story, Vermont Council of the Arts, 1971, for "For Strider."

WRITINGS:

The Hatch and Brood of Time (mystery novel), Savvy Press (Brooklyn, NY), 1999.

Bridges and Trees (novel), Gowanus Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Unfold the Evil (mystery novel), Savvy Press (Brooklyn, NY), 2000.

The Measure of the Universe (science fiction), Saga SF (Brooklyn, NY), 2002.

Nabu and the Chancey Way (science fiction), Dark Moon Rising (Cincinnati, OH), 2002.

Contributor of short stories to periodicals, including Yankee.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Enkidu, a science fiction trilogy.

SIDELIGHTS: Ellen Larson told CA: "Enkidu is a futuristic adventure story set on the beautiful world of Amara. Earth's highly advanced descendants struggle to avoid the slide back to barbarism. The story explores the nature of the human experience from the dawn of time to the far-distant but still imaginable future and, like the Gilgamesh legend upon which it is loosely based, turns into a fateful search for immortality.

"Although I enjoy writing fiction and nonfiction of many kinds, I have been drawn toward science fiction since I discovered the works of Asimov, Heinlein, and Bradbury in the sixties. This is perhaps because I am less interested in the way things are than in the way they could be. Though I published a short story in a national magazine at an early age, my career as a writer stalled through my twenties and thirties, as I floundered to find something original to say and an original way of saying it. To my surprise (as I am a hopeless speller), I found myself earning a good living as an editor, rather than a writer. As I matured, as both a writer (working as an editor is a galvanizing experience for any writer) and a person, I became aware that every word I write is adding to the immense canon of human storytelling, and I have embraced that connectivity rather than fearing it. I've been drawn to study and emulate the techniques and themes used by the Greek, Sumerian, and Egyptian storytellers."