Ellen Gilchrist

Although Ellen Gilchrist has already been covered, I enjoyed Chelseas post on her and thought I could benefit observing her specific writing skills as well.I would like to start of with a little about her. Ellen was a creative writing teacher at the University of Arkansas and has been quoted as saying, "I have learned much from my students and hope they have learned from me." Critics say she has subtle perceptions and unique characters with a strong sense of the writers voice.

Her first book of poetry named "The Land Surveyor's Daughter" in 1979 followed with "Riding out the Tropical Depression" but most of the attention came from her writing of fiction. "In the Land of Dreamy Dreams" which sold 10,000 copies in the southwest alone, and later followed it up with "Victory Over Japan" which won the 1984 American Book Award for fiction. Ellen kept some of the characters alive from "In the Land of Dreamy Dreams" and continued their journeys but in a different direction which i find very interesting. I must say I love the chapter in her book entitled, "Breaking the Rules" because it almost gives me , what I feel to be, a greater range to write in without worrying some imaginary alarm is going to go off if my writing doesn't follow to the letter of what some may call standard rules of writing. In any event, I hope to learn much from her.