Ella Grace Foutz
Ella Grace Foutz earned her bachelor of arts in liberal arts from Southern Virginia University and now resides in northern Ohio. Lullabies for the Insomniacs is her debut book.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“The young behold with envy what the old man hardly feels.”
(William Wordsworth, “Old Man Traveling: A Sketch of Animal Tranquility and Decay” from “Lyrical Ballads”)Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Ted Kooser, Kathryn Stockett, John Green
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
As a kid, nothing was more enchanting to me than the concept of words on paper. It felt like there was a kind of reality that only books have real estate in. From a young age, I simply craved to be engaged in that magic. Throughout my childhood, I treasured my writing as a kind of spellcraft through which I could ground my experiences. If I could put the bad things in words, I could conquer them. If I could put the good things in words, I could keep them. It’s honestly weird to examine why I’ve wanted to be an author since that longing has been there for so long. But when I think about it, what comes to mind is this basic allure to having my own words belong on the shelf with others that have held me.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Don’t worry about your writing being good. Just tell the truth. Even if you’re writing fiction, good writing always comes out of telling the truth. The truth is what reaches us.
