Lisa Estus

Poet

Austin, TX

Texas US

Twitter/X:

Author's Bio

Lisa Estus is a fiction writer, poet, and essayist. Her work appears in Puerto del Sol, Rain City Review and Reed Magazine, and other literary journals. She’s earned her living as an aircraft loadsheet officer, jewelry designer, real estate agent, artisanal soap and candle-maker, public relations specialist, creative writing instructor, and an IT project manager. Thematic obsessions in her own work include gender and power; transformation, rupture, identity, and transcendence. Estus is currently at work on a queer second-coming-of-age novel set in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 90s.

Writers Retreats:

Napa Valley Writers’ Conference

Todos Santos Writers Workshop Winter Session

Publications & Prizes

Journals:

Array

Pacific Coast Journal

Reed Magazine

Prizes won:

San Jose State University, Department of English (1993-1994)

James Phelan Literary Award for Critical Essay: awarded first place for “Burney—The Next Generation: Taboo as Family Institution,” an essay on themes in Fanny Burney's novel Evelina.
James Phelan Literary Award for Free Verse: awarded second-place for poem "The Gift."
James Phelan Literary Award for Humor/Satire: awarded second place for short story "Speaking in Tongues."

Personal Favorites

Favorite authors:

Margaret Atwood, Jessamine Chan, Samantha Chang, Jennifer Egan, Janet Fitch, Mary Gaitskill, Carmen Giménez, Tony Hoagland, Marie Howe, Kazuo Ishiguro, Barbara Kingsolver, and Toni Morrison.

More Information

Gives readings:

Yes

Travels for readings:

Yes

Born in:

Chicago, IL

Illinois

Raised in:

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Last update: Jun 20, 2024