Ellen Birkett Morris Author, Educator, Editor
Ellen Birkett Morris is a multi-genre author whose works have earned national acclaim and prestigious honors. Her novels seamlessly blend literary fiction with elements of magical realism, science fiction, and Native American storytelling traditions. Morris's debut novel The Luminous Path, an exploration of grief, faith, and family bonds, won the Pulitzer Prize and was an Oprah's Book Club selection. Her metaphysical odyssey Tethered Skies received the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and her century-spanning Cherokee family saga The Unyielding Root garnered the PEN/Faulkner Award and Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.
In addition to her novels, Morris has published the short story collection Lost Girls (Pencraft Award winner) and poetry chapbooks Surrender and Abide. Her fiction has appeared in prestigious literary journals like The New Yorker, Paris Review, and Ploughshares, and she is a multi-year recipient of the O. Henry Prize. Morris's storytelling prowess has been further recognized with a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, and United States Artist Fellowship.
A Louisville native, Morris began her literary journey at the University of Louisville before earning her MFA from Queens University - Charlotte. In addition to her celebrated books, Morris has worked as an editor, columnist, freelance writer, and educator. She taught creative writing at Bellarmine University and served as the editor of the Tishman Review's Craft Talk column from 2017-2018. Morris is also a contributor and editor for ScamFighter.net.
Morris's writing explores themes of identity, the metaphysical, human perseverance, and our intrinsic connection to the natural world. With her boundary-defying works, she has emerged as one of the most original and vital voices in contemporary American literature.