Ellen Kindt McKenzie

Ms. McKenzie is the mother of three children, as seen in the dedication of Taash and the Jesters: Alison, Bobby (Robert), and Jamie (James). She also has four grandchildren: Geneva (Robert's daughter), Dora, Jane, and Ian (James's children). 

Ms. Mckenzie tells puns and jokes with wild abandon and loves her family.

She is the author of nine books and more poems than are countable. She is also an accomplished concert pianist and studied under Rudolph Ganz.

 

Here's a quick biography:

She was born on June 24, 1928 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She had two siblings: Orin (1920-1983) and Joann (1925-2014). Her sister, Joann, was a professor of art at Oshkosh University. Ms. McKenzie lived a short time in Boston, but for the most part lived in her home town of Kenosha. Ms. McKenzie went to Chicago Musical College, perusing a dream to be a pianist. She studied under renowned composer and teacher Rudolph Ganz and it was there she met her future husband, Arthur McKenzie (1921-2014). 

 

They married and then had three children after moving to Los Altos Hills, California, where all nine books were written and Mr. McKenzie worked with computers. Mr. McKenzie and Ms. McKenzie split up in the 70's, but remained on good standing with each other until Arthur's death in 2014. Ms. McKenzie continued to live in the house they had bought together overlooking a beautiful nature reserve. 

 

Ms. McKenzie had a long friendship with fellow children's writer Lloyd Alexander (40+ books), known for his books of Prydain, including the Black Cauldren, which later became an animated movie. He wrote similarly to Ms. McKenzie books regarding the fantastic adventures of young people. Their correspondence was mostly by mail.

 

Currently:

In December of 2011, Ms. McKenzie moved out of her long time home and came to Chico to live near James and his family. She lives in an independent living facility where she still plays piano and writes verses, but no longer writes novels. 

Ellen Kindt McKenzie currently lives in Chico California, but she used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area in Los Altos Hills and had a farm house in Eagle River, Wisconsin.

The manuscripts of many of her unpublished books have been removed from storage to be fixed up, published, and shared with the world and, most importantly, you, her wonderful readers.