Ellen Birkett Morris
Ellen Birkett Morris is the author of Lost Girls. Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, The Antioch Review, The Notre Dame Review, and The South Carolina Review, among other journals. Her commentaries have been heard on public radio stations across the United States. She is a winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for Short Fiction and the recipient of a 2013 Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. Morris holds an MFA from Queens University-Charlotte.
Twitter: @Birkett_Morris
Instagram: @EllenBirkettMorris
What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you?
I did a reading from Lost Girls at my MFA program. The story “Religion” deals with a lonely virgin who ends up in a breast feeder’s group and decides to pretend she is a parent and stay. In her quest to connect with others, she crosses some serious boundaries. I guess the details captivated him, because a classmate asked if the story really happened to me.
Favorite non-reading activity?
I love to cook, baking especially. The most elaborate thing I’ve made was caramel eclairs from a recipe on the Great British Baking Show site. They took four hours—homemade pastry, caramel and whipped cream. At the risk of bragging, they were amazing!
Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?
I like a mix of rural and small town. Martha’s Vineyard is ideal because it has historic Edgartown, upscale Vineyard Haven, quiet Menemsha and the more remote and beautiful Aquinnah. One Island, many moods.
If you could create a museum exhibition, what would be the theme?
I was born pre-maturely and was very small. I have always identified with small things. I would love an exhibit of mixed miniatures, small paintings, jewelry, and decorative items. Why not add small cakes to the mix?
What brings you great joy?
I love it when people are unexpectedly kind. My neighbor and I bonded over both having dogs. His dog died and then mine did. When I walked past his house with our new dog, he came out and handed me his dog’s leash. It was such a loving gesture.
