Elissa Elliott

I’ve been a voracious reader since I was a child. Growing up as the oldest of seven, reading was my escape. It was my travel to faraway places and to different cultures. I think it was Mark Twain who said, “We read to know we’re not alone,” and I agree wholeheartedly.

I went the scientific route, graduating from UCLA with a biology degree and a masters of education. I taught high school math for two years, then high school biology for six. I loved the interaction with the kids, and I definitely enjoyed the perks of travel and adventure, afforded to teachers who wanted to bring the world back to their classroom. Antarctica. Galapagos Islands. Outward Bound. Boundary Waters. British Virgin Islands. John Pennecamp State Park. I loved them all.

In 1999, my husband had to do a year surgery fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, so I quit teaching for a year. I began to write, and everything I wrote ended up sounding a lot like my family. So, I wrote my itching-to-get-out memoir, just so I could move on to newer and better things. Closure is good. It really is.

Currently, I’m a contributing writer for Books & Culture. I’m working on my second novel, which for the time being, will remain a secret. The writing of it has proven to be just as thought-provoking and challenging as Eve, which is an exciting thing.