Ellen Sussman | Author

Ellen Sussman
American writer of both fiction and nonfiction, writing teacher, and editor

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reading at Rakesdraw

Mar.05.2013

reading at Rakesdraw

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PUBLISHED: Mar.26.2013

The Paradise Guest House

It starts as a trip to paradise. Sent on assignment to Bali, Jamie, an American adventure guide, imagines spending weeks exploring the island’s lush jungles and pristine white sand beaches. Yet three days after her arrival, she is caught in Bali’s infamous nightclub bombings, which irreparably change her life and leave her with many unanswered questions. One year later,...

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PUBLISHED: Jun.28.2011

French Lessons

French Lessons follows three Americans whose lives are changed over the course of a single day in Paris as they each explore the City of Lights with a French tutor, talking about love and loss.

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PUBLISHED: Jun.10.2008

Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex

Our favorite contemporary authors on an irresistible subject: sex. Antonya Nelson pays lip service to the blow job. Phillip Lopate ruminates on duration. Martha McPhee waxes poetic about hermaphrodites. From sexual relationships to sexual positions, from the classics to contemporary twists, Dirty Words collects the most titillating and provocative definitions of the most...

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PUBLISHED: Jul.09.2007

Bad Girls: 26 Writers Misbehave

“I behave badly to set myself apart. To test myself. To push myself. To prove something. To shock someone. ... I behave badly because I can.” That’s how Ellen Sussman describes her deviant endeavors. To better understand them, she’s invited twenty-five other bad girls to share their stories. Ann Hood lies, Mary Roach confesses. Lolly Winston blasts the music; Susan Straight puts...

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PUBLISHED: Mar.01.2005

On a Night Like This

In Sussman’s heart-wrenching debut, two former high school classmates take a second chance at love, despite one partner’s terminal cancer. Resisting the impulse to descend into bathos, Sussman shows remarkable restraint in her depiction of a love affair that transforms a dying woman’s last days into a celebration of life. When Luke Bellingham, an acclaimed screenwriter in his...

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Ellen's Latest Blogs

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Mar.26.2013 - 11:32 am

Making Stuff Up

I love to lie. I can’t tell a true story the same way two times – each time I add new details, stretch the possibilities of what could happen, twist the ending just a little bit....

Nov.18.2011 - 2:19 pm

Movie Deal! (And Other News)

First the big news: movie deal! Unique Features, headed by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne who were the founders of New Line Cinema, have bought the rights to turn French Lessons into...

Jul.07.2011 - 1:55 pm

French Lessons: Events

This photo is from my first reading of Dirty Words—at a party in a penthouse apartment in San Francisco. I didn't know about the appropriate backdrop for my reading until...

Jun.15.2011 - 10:16 am

I Hated The Three Day Breast Cancer Walk

Thanks to Redroom (yay!) I have a piece up at The Huffington Post. Here's the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/red-room/breast-cancer-walk_b_875664.html

Comments from Ellen

Aug.24.2011 - 3:53 pm

In response to: Paris, Mon Amour

thanks

Such great comments -- thanks, Edie, Victoria and Ben!

Jul.05.2008 - 7:36 pm

In response to: Patriotism: a dirty word?

thanks, Thomas. I love the

thanks, Thomas. I love the cover of the Daily Mirror you posted! And I agree with you, we have a responsibility to make...

Jun.10.2008 - 6:09 pm

In response to: Video!

hey, Kirsten. just checked

hey, Kirsten. just checked out your site. your book looks great. good luck!

Jun.10.2008 - 4:13 pm

In response to: Video!

man, i wish i had a stamp of

man, i wish i had a stamp of that to use for all my readings! great cartoon, Belle.

Jun.10.2008 - 11:07 am

In response to: Mediterranean Summer starts today...

congratulations. sound like

congratulations. sound like a wonderful book. bravo!

Writing

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Article: Paris, Mon Amour

Article: I Love My Book Cover!

Article: Let's Change the Book Tour

Published Reviews

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Jul.02.2008

Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex

Published by NPR.org

NPR.org, July 2, 2008 · There are books, and then there are "Books We Like." Each week in Books We Like, our critics review their top picks for new fiction and nonfiction. The...

Audio & Video

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ellen-sussman

Video: Dirty Words Video!

About Ellen

Ellen Sussman is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel, French Lessons, and the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, On a Night Like This. Her new novel, The Paradise Guest House will be published in March, 2013. She is the editor of two...

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