Ellen Bass

Ellen Bass (born June 16, 1947) is an American poet and nonfiction author. Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey , she earned a BA from Goucher College and an MA in creative writing from Boston University , where she studied under Anne Sexton . Bass's poetry collections, including Indigo (2020), Like a Beggar (2014), The Human Line (2007), and Mules of Love (2002), explore themes of human vulnerability, relationships, and resilience through direct, intimate language. She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts , the Lambda Literary Award for Mules of Love , multiple Pushcart Prizes, and served as Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 2017 to 2022. In addition to her poetry, Bass co-authored the nonfiction book The Courage to Heal (1988) on recovering from childhood sexual abuse and co-edited No More Masks! , an early anthology of women's poetry. She teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Pacific University and has led poetry workshops in California prisons and jails.

Ellen Bass was born on June 16, 1947, in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and grew up in New Jersey .

She was raised in a Jewish family with a strong cultural identity, though not highly observant; the family celebrated holidays such as Passover and Hanukkah and attended services on Yom Kippur . Jewish culture, including themes related to the Holocaust , has appeared in her later reflections on her worldview and writing, stemming from this upbringing.

During high school, Bass appreciated poetry , an interest that deepened in her college years but marked an early engagement with literature amid observations of family and human dynamics. Her extended explorations of childhood experiences in subsequent work suggest formative influences from personal narratives and relationships encountered in these years.

Ellen Bass earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Goucher College in Baltimore , Maryland , graduating in 1968.

She subsequently obtained a Master of Arts in creative writing from Boston University , completing the program in 1970. At Boston University , Bass studied under the poet Anne Sexton , whose confessional style emphasized raw exploration of personal trauma and emotion. Bass later described Sexton's feedback as "ripping the skin off" her early poems, which compelled her to confront and articulate intimate psychological depths more directly, fostering a commitment to unflinching honesty in her poetic voice.

Ellen Bass was previously married to a man with whom she had a daughter. She entered a long-term relationship with her wife , Janet, which had lasted over three decades by 2020, and together they raised a son.

Bass identifies as bisexual while being in a same-sex marriage , situating herself within the LGBTQ community. Her family dynamics include references to an ex-husband and adult children in personal accounts.

Bass relocated to the Santa Cruz area, including nearby Aptos, around the time of her daughter's birth, establishing a stable domestic base in Santa Cruz, California , where she continues to reside with her wife. This location has supported her family life, with Janet's mother living nearby as of 2013.

Ellen Bass serves as a faculty member in the low-residency Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing program at Pacific University , where she teaches poetry . This program emphasizes intensive residencies combined with remote mentorship, enabling working writers to refine their craft without relocating. Bass's role involves guiding students in developing authentic poetic voices through workshops and feedback, leveraging her background in crafting accessible yet profound verse that confronts personal and emotional realities.

In her pedagogy , Bass prioritizes rigor alongside generosity, fostering cooperation among students to explore vulnerability in writing without compromising technical precision.