Hello and Welcome.

I’m Elisabeth Parker—freelance journalist, and creative writing teacher. My friends call me Bess.

Read My Work in The New York Times

I love true stories, intimate details, and far-fetched ideas. I’ve interviewed the famous, the infamous, and those who live in the shadows, sharing their stories in newspapers and magazines. For 12 years, I was a staff writer at the Tampa Bay Times, carving out time for the stories that mattered most to me—stories about people, their struggles, their resilience, and the conflicts that shape them.

Humans are complicated, and conflict is at the heart of every compelling story. The best stories, I believe, allow space for multiple truths—challenging the mind and stirring the emotions.

I come from a nonfiction discipline, but fiction has always called to me. Nothing has ever stirred me more than a good book. Last year I completed an MFA in creative writing at the University of South Florida, where I taught composition, research and creative writing.