An Interview with Award-Winning Educator and Local Writer, Ellen Jo Ljung 

“What happens when a progressive teacher from New England lands in the middle of Texas school politics?” quotes the Daily Herald about Ellen Jo Ljung’s latest novel, Caught in the Crossfire, which she calls, “a timely story inspired by the headlines and tensions that have pushed real-life teachers out of classrooms across the country.”

In anticipation of her launch, we asked Ljung some questions about her writing life as a longtime Geneva resident and local author. Ljung is the author of the teaching memoir, Tales Told Out of School: Lessons Learned by the Teacher, as well as the blog, “Dare to Teach and Learn.” 

Interview

Name an author or a book that influences you and why.

There are so many! One of my first memorable reading experiences happened in seventh grade science. My teacher required us to read and report on a book from his shelf, and I picked Patterns of Culture. It altered my view of the world at a young age and made me realize that the way we lived was just one of many! I’ve always loved To Kill a Mockingbird and wish I had a chance to teach it with Go Tell a Watchman, to show my students the importance of an effective editor. I could go on…

Describe your writing process.

Although I taught my students a deliberative and iterative process, trying to get them to prewrite and rewrite, my own process has become more internal. Especially for my latest book, I let my protagonist “talk” to me over time, getting to know her better before I put pen to paper. 

How did you discover that you were a writer?

In elementary school, I was part of a small group pulled out of class for a creative writing workshop. When we “published” a mimeographed anthology and I saw my poems — mediocre though they were — in print with my name, I believed myself to be a writer. 

Describe your writing style in a phrase.

Impassioned.

Tell us something about the work you’ll be reading that a reader wouldn’t expect.

It’s fiction. All of my other writing has been non-fiction or poetry, and I used to shy away from fiction. This story came to me, though, and wouldn’t let me go until I wrote it down.

What are you working on now?

I maintain an education blog, https://blog.imwriter.com, and I’m revisiting some prior work about teaching writing to see if I can update it to include using artificial intelligence tools as a supportive tool rather than a replacement. 

Describe your writing “desk.”

I’m afraid it’s a screen, usually my desktop at home on a library table next to my husband’s desktop. But we travel a lot, so it’s often my laptop or iPad. In fact, I’m answering these questions on my iPad while we’re in Rhode Island.

What was the inspiration behind your book? 

I do a lot of research for my blog, and I kept encountering discouraging tales of micromanagement of teachers, especially in states like Texas and Florida. My frustration grew until Claire came to me and told me to write that story for others to understand the problems and the stakes.

Please recommend a local author you love and why.

I so enjoyed Shelby Van Pelt’s talk at the Geneva Public Library two years ago — she gave me the courage to try this. And I’m especially fond of the humor in Rick Holinger’s work.

Or, pick up your copy this Saturday (June 28th) at Harvey’s Tales where Ljung will be discussing and signing copies from 1 to 3 p.m.

That’s Harvey’s Tales, 216 James St. in Geneva, with a rain date of Sunday, June 29.