Author Biography | Interview | Books by this Author | Readalikes
Elizabeth Berg was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on December 2, 1948.
Before Berg became a writer, she was a registered nurse for ten years, and that was her "school" for writing—taking care of patients taught her a lot about human nature, about hope and fear and love and loss and regret and triumph and especially about relationships--all things that she tends to focus on in her work. She worked as a waitress, and she sang in a rock band. One day, she entered a writing contest for a magazine and won. She wrote for magazines for ten years, then moved into novels and has not stopped since. She usually writes a book a year. Berg has won a number of awards.
She was married for over twenty years and is now divorced. Berg has two daughters and three grandchildren. She currently lives in Chicago.
About This Biography
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A Conversation with Elizabeth Berg about Open House
If you "could lift the roof--make for a real open house--and look
in-side,"what roofs would you lift? What do you think you would see?
Given my interest in things "ordinary," I would probably lift the roof
of the people on my block. And what I would see are people involved
in "ordinary" lives, which, for me, are extraordinary. I'm the kind of
person who is entertained watching someone simply be themselves,
whether they're putting their children to bed or making dinner or sitting
at the table reading the morning newspaper. I like the myriad
ways people reveal themselves, the great variation in the human
species, as well as the remarkable similarities.
Is this what you're doing when you write--"lifting the roof"?
Yes. I look to find the heart and soul of people, of my characters. I
look for the truth of them, and the truths about life that are presented
through them.
Sam wants to "lift the roof" in a moment of isolation. Does writing
allow you to ward off isolation? Or, is writing isolating?
Well, that's an interesting question. The answer is both. Writing is, of course,
a solitary ...
Christina Adam was born in 1947. Her award-winning stories appeared in many literary journals as well as The Atlantic Monthly and Cosmopolitan. Her work has been anthologized in Circle of Women: An Anthology of Contemporary ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
Ordinary Life
Try:
Any Small Thing Can Save You
by Christina Adam
Trezza Azzopardi was born in Cardiff, UK. She is a graduate of the Creative Writing Program at the University of East Anglia and is an external examiner for Creative and Cultural Studies at Norwich School of Art and Design.
...
(more)
If you enjoyed:
Never Change
Try:
Remember Me
by Trezza Azzopardi
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