Ellen Harvey Showell

Ellen Harvey Showell grew up in West Virginia. Her mother supported the family as a schoolteacher. She says, "To me, mountain dialect is not bad English--it's another kind of music to the ears." Showell's memories of screaming matches with brothers and sisters inspire her portrayal of scrappy but loving family life. She has a son and a granddaughter and lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband John.

Ellen Harvey Showell grew up in West Virginia. Her mother supported the family as a schoolteacher. She says, "To me, mountain dialect is not bad English--it's another kind of music to the ears." Showell's memories of screaming matches with brothers and sisters inspire her portrayal of scrappy but loving family life. She has a son and a granddaughter and lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband John. See less