Word Spaces
Word Spaces (13): Elizabeth Ellen
Elizabeth Ellen is the author of Before You She Was A Pitbull (Future Tense Books 2006), and has work featured in two chapbook collectives: A Peculiar Feeling Of Restlessness (Rose Metal Press 2008) and Fox Force 5 (forthcoming from Paper Hero Press). She is a Deputy Editor at Hobart and edits Short Flight/Long Drive, Hobart‘s books division. Stories/poems of hers can be found in print issues of Hobart, Sleepingfish, Keyhole, Opium, and online in Waccamaw, Dogzplot, ActionYes, Juked, and 3AM.
I wish I had met Elizabeth at AWP. I think I spoke to her once, but I never found the courage to introduce myself. I don’t really have a rational explanation for my being timid, and I realize how silly of me it was to worry about that sort of thing. I think, though, it had to do with my feeling awe, maybe, in her presence. Elizabeth Ellen’s was one of the first names I remember seeing everywhere when I began to discover that writers had made their way onto the internet.
So it makes me really happy to post Elizabeth Ellen’s word space/essay for you.
___________________
When I’m working on my novel, which I’m supposed to be doing two hours every morning, I write at the desk in my bedroom (photo 1). The novel’s a fictionalized account of the two years my daughter and I spent in a shitty little apartment in a small town in Michigan after my divorce so there are photos of us from that time along with some of Skeet Ulrich (photo 2) who’s sort of the visual inspiration for the 17 year old neighbor Elvis in the novel (originally I had photos of Milo Ventimiglia up because my daughter and I were watching a lot of Gilmore Girls a year ago but then I realized Elvis was more the football playing type and (no offense, Milo) Milo just didn’t seem like the type to throw a football). I keep these books (photo 3) on my desk because they’re the ones I’ve read more times than any other and when I’m stuck in my writing I open one of them and read a little and hope for inspiration, though usually I just end up sprawled out on my bed reading, so maybe they only really help with procrastinating and making me realize that by comparison my writing is shit and I’ll probably never write a decent novel, but, whatever. I still like having them there.
Occasionally, when I can’t work at home, I drive across town to this little strip mall parking lot and sit there and write in my car (photo 4). I got this idea from one of my favorite films, American Movie. The guy in the movie parks at the airport to write when he’s stuck on one of his screenplays. It seems to work. One time when I was writing in my car a dude in a security car pulled up to ask me what I was doing and I had to explain I was writing and then what I was writing because he still didn’t seem to get it. I’m not sure what he thought I was doing in my car at ten in the morning. I should have asked because I’ve been curious ever since. I’m worried about this strip mall. There used to be a Hollywood video and a Chinese restaurant and some other shops and now the only thing still open is an Asian grocery store. I’m not really sure what happens to strip malls after they die but I guess I’ll find out soon.
The other desk (photo 5) I work at is a built in off the kitchen and usually when I’m working here it’s on stories on my laptop or I’m editing stories for Hobart or emailing people or whatever. There’s a corkboard wall here and I’ve filled it with pictures and quotes over the last couple years. One of them (photo 6) is a quote from Henry Miller on his watercolor painting hobby sent to me by my good friend Jeff Parker. Another, probably my favorite quote, is from Bukowski (photo 7). It’s actually a poem he wrote in response to someone asking him what he would tell his students if he taught creative writing and the first line is “I’d tell them to have an unhappy love affair.” And it ends the same way, “have another unhappy love affair.” And right next to that is a quote from Rose McGowan on how she always stays too long in a relationship, which for some reason I think is kind of funny (the fact that I thought enough of the quote at the time to hang it up, I mean, not that she stays too long in relationships, though, yeah, that too.). Finally, I have a postcard of Louis Bromfield (photo eight) who is a writer from my hometown Mansfield, Ohio. He won a Pulitzer in 1927 and lived in France and was part of the whole “Lost Generation” scene with Hemingway and Fitzgerald and Stein for ten years and then returned to Mansfield to farm and write books on farming and now he’s virtually forgotten. But whenever I go home I go to his house, Malabar Farm, and take the tour. He had a lot of boxers and you can still see where they scratched up all the doors.
_____________________
Thanks, Elizabeth, for this. Everyone, thanks for reading. Please check out Elizabeth’s stories/poems if you haven’t already, maybe order a book?
Tags: elizabeth ellen
this is really awesome. people who love buk = smart people.
this is really awesome. people who love buk = smart people.
Love it.
damn looks like i found ikea’s livelihood. elizabeth, whatchu sippin on when you write? maybe something with a little nutmeg in it? in a big porcelain mug? do you have to adjust your horn rimmed glasses every once in a while? man i can’t wait to read the novel. here’s a line i bet i’ll find, “baby, i just can’t seem to forget you.” needs more cheek to cheek girl photos though, but the corkboard is nice. i envision “get more organic bagels” being written on it. dude where’s your benson and hedges girl? i seem to feel a “green day” poster missing in all this. overall very nice. can’t see any little napkins with stuff written on them though. oh well, that’s what the lisa frank notepad is for right?
damn looks like i found ikea’s livelihood. elizabeth, whatchu sippin on when you write? maybe something with a little nutmeg in it? in a big porcelain mug? do you have to adjust your horn rimmed glasses every once in a while? man i can’t wait to read the novel. here’s a line i bet i’ll find, “baby, i just can’t seem to forget you.” needs more cheek to cheek girl photos though, but the corkboard is nice. i envision “get more organic bagels” being written on it. dude where’s your benson and hedges girl? i seem to feel a “green day” poster missing in all this. overall very nice. can’t see any little napkins with stuff written on them though. oh well, that’s what the lisa frank notepad is for right?
very cool. i like ones that have lots of pictures. i like the environment. in the last six months i have found myself asking “why don’t i have any of elizabeth ellen’s work?” often. this usually spirals into a “there are so many books i want” thing and then into the inevitable “why don’t i have any money?” thing, which only has me feeling useless and wanting a tray of brownies to drown out the voices.
very cool. i like ones that have lots of pictures. i like the environment. in the last six months i have found myself asking “why don’t i have any of elizabeth ellen’s work?” often. this usually spirals into a “there are so many books i want” thing and then into the inevitable “why don’t i have any money?” thing, which only has me feeling useless and wanting a tray of brownies to drown out the voices.
W, Ryan. If you don’t have any of her books, you can still read her online and be a fan. That matters, too.
I wish I was in one of my baking phases and I would bring over an extra tray of brownies to you.
I have read some of her stuff that’s online. But I like physicality. Sometimes I have affairs with books. Um…
I’m delirious, pay no attention.
Mmm, brownies. I’m a total dessert fiend.
I have read some of her stuff that’s online. But I like physicality. Sometimes I have affairs with books. Um…
I’m delirious, pay no attention.
Mmm, brownies. I’m a total dessert fiend.
This is what happens to malls when they die: http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/new_harbour_mall.html
I used to go there with my dad to watch movies when I was in high school. I wonder if the movie theater, which always stank of piss, is still there.
By the way, Elizabeth Ellen has a story here as well: http://litareview.com/09/1mayeellen.shtml
One of her sexiest published photos ever goes with it.
This was the best word spaces yet. I liked the Amelia Gray one too, but Elizabeth went into far greater detail and plus she uses TWO Macs. Winner winner chicken dinner.
This is what happens to malls when they die: http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/new_harbour_mall.html
I used to go there with my dad to watch movies when I was in high school. I wonder if the movie theater, which always stank of piss, is still there.
By the way, Elizabeth Ellen has a story here as well: http://litareview.com/09/1mayeellen.shtml
One of her sexiest published photos ever goes with it.
This was the best word spaces yet. I liked the Amelia Gray one too, but Elizabeth went into far greater detail and plus she uses TWO Macs. Winner winner chicken dinner.
good shit liz.
if anyone wants to, they can order fox force 5 here:
http://paperheropress.blogspot.com/
good shit liz.
if anyone wants to, they can order fox force 5 here:
http://paperheropress.blogspot.com/
thats funny. how the hell can you see that little pic?
thats funny. how the hell can you see that little pic?
dl pdf of course
dl pdf of course
skeet
skeet
like.
like.
This is great, E. Speaking of now-forgotten writers from Ohio and the Gilmore Girls, I was on Wikipedia looking up Dawn Powell recently and her entry said, “In the episode ‘Help Wanted’ on the Gilmore Girls, Rory is reading Complete Novels by Dawn Powell. Rory comments that no one has heard of Powell, which is a shame, and that there are some who claim that it was actually Powell who wrote some of the jokes that Dorothy Parker got credit for.” Can that be true? Did you see that episode? Anyway, your essay is good and it made me think of that.
This is great, E. Speaking of now-forgotten writers from Ohio and the Gilmore Girls, I was on Wikipedia looking up Dawn Powell recently and her entry said, “In the episode ‘Help Wanted’ on the Gilmore Girls, Rory is reading Complete Novels by Dawn Powell. Rory comments that no one has heard of Powell, which is a shame, and that there are some who claim that it was actually Powell who wrote some of the jokes that Dorothy Parker got credit for.” Can that be true? Did you see that episode? Anyway, your essay is good and it made me think of that.
how surprised am i that ‘brent bogardus’ likes bukowski?
i am zero surprised
how surprised am i that ‘brent bogardus’ likes bukowski?
i am zero surprised
this was the most fun
for your american movie inspired car writing alone, ee, you win it
this was the most fun
for your american movie inspired car writing alone, ee, you win it
kathleen, i *did* see that episode! and googled dawn powell right after! thanks.
kathleen, i *did* see that episode! and googled dawn powell right after! thanks.
ryan, email me your address and i’ll send you a book. elizabethellen@mac.com. unless you’re just playin’. that’s cool, too. i could send brownies.
ryan, email me your address and i’ll send you a book. elizabethellen@mac.com. unless you’re just playin’. that’s cool, too. i could send brownies.
dude, sam, bite me.
dude, sam, bite me.
i’ve always been curious how other writers can write in their bedrooms. ee sums it up:
I just end up sprawled out on my bed reading, so maybe they only really help with procrastinating and making me realize that by comparison my writing is shit and I’ll probably never write a decent novel, but, whatever
i’m sure, also, that if you examined (speaking from personal experience) other writer’s area’s you’d find stuff way more corny than this. i like it. but there always has to be something pornographic as well, perhaps that was edited out.
i had the good fortune to see ee read in the rose city probably two years ago and she was great. a truly talented writer.
i’ve always been curious how other writers can write in their bedrooms. ee sums it up:
I just end up sprawled out on my bed reading, so maybe they only really help with procrastinating and making me realize that by comparison my writing is shit and I’ll probably never write a decent novel, but, whatever
i’m sure, also, that if you examined (speaking from personal experience) other writer’s area’s you’d find stuff way more corny than this. i like it. but there always has to be something pornographic as well, perhaps that was edited out.
i had the good fortune to see ee read in the rose city probably two years ago and she was great. a truly talented writer.
html giant doesn’t let you use html tags in posts… oh, the irony
html giant doesn’t let you use html tags in posts… oh, the irony
i have a dartboard in my writing space. its pretty corny, i think, i agree.
i have a dartboard in my writing space. its pretty corny, i think, i agree.
three spaces, counting the car. this is great, ee.
three spaces, counting the car. this is great, ee.
glad to see i’m not the only one incessantly posting/ pinning things around wherever i work .
flowers AND a skull and bones in the car, though? No.. no, wait that makes sense. much love to the EE.
(d
glad to see i’m not the only one incessantly posting/ pinning things around wherever i work .
flowers AND a skull and bones in the car, though? No.. no, wait that makes sense. much love to the EE.
(d