Helen Ellis: ‘Writing is certainly a gamble’

The poker-playing author on writing as addiction, trying and failing to write ‘prize-worthy’ work and Margaret Atwood’s praise

Helen Ellis published her first book, a comic novel called Eating the Cheshire Cat, to some acclaim in 2000. Her second book, American Housewife, is a collection of stories based on her wickedly funny twitter persona @WhatIDoAllDay. It was recently chosen by Margaret Atwood as her “cackle-making” book of the year. Ellis grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and now lives on New York’s Upper East Side with her husband and cats. She also plays poker in World Series events.

Reading about how you came to write the stories in American Housewife, there is a sense that the need to write would never leave you alone.
It’s true. The first word that comes to mind is addiction. Or love. Which I could say equally well about poker or marriage.

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