Linda Vigen Phillips

Linda Vigen Phillips was born and raised in pristine southeast Oregon. She left after graduating from U of O but Oregon never left her. She says, "There is a deep-down reservoir in my soul that holds the sound of lake wind whistling through tall Ponderosas, sun glancing off of Cascade Range peaks, the semi-arid wind carrying sage and juniper scent....more renewable resources than any writer could ever need."

Linda finds passion in creating realistic fiction told in verse, to offer hope to teens and their families who face mental or physical health challenges. Her debut novel, Crazy, depicts the struggles of a teenage girl in the1960’s coming to terms with her mother’s bipolar disorder. It earned numerous accolades, including Foreword Reviews lndieFab Book of the Year Finalist, the short-list for SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and an Honor book for the Paterson Prize for Books.

Linda’s second book, Behind These Hands, shows how the life of a teenage piano prodigy is upended when her two younger brothers are diagnosed with Batten, a rare neurodegenerative disease.

Linda’s writing has been praised as “beautiful” and “emotionally impactful” (School Library Journal); her brave storylines “resonate with teens” (Booklist) and “speak to many, many readers” (San Francisco Book Review). Linda enjoys conducting writing workshops, spending time with her grandkids, and advocating for better mental health through her involvement with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She lives in Charlotte, NC, where she and her husband love to sit on the screened porch to watch the grass grow.