about.
Eleanor Vincent has been writing professionally since the age of 23. She began her career as a journalist in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and branched out into writing personal essays, fiction, and poetry after moving to California in 1978.
Her début memoir, Swimming with Maya: A Mother's Story (Capital Books, 2004) chronicles the life and death of her nineteen-year-old daughter, Maya, who was thrown from a horse and pronounced brain-dead at the hospital. Eleanor donated her daughter's organs to critically ill patients and poignantly describes her friendship with a middle-aged man who was the recipient of Maya's heart.
The Sacramento Bee calls Swimming with Maya, "frank and moving…a journey from denial to acceptance to redemption."
Eleanor has appeared on CNN and Evening Magazine, been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, and been interviewed on radio and television programs around the country. She is a national spokesperson on grief recovery and organ donation.
She received a Woman of Promise Award from the Feminist Writers' Guild. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College in 1995 where she teaches writing workshops in creative nonfiction as a visiting writer.
She is currently writing a book about her adventures living in an urban cohousing community from 2005 to 2007. As a midlife refugee from the suburbs, she tried out this new lifestyle with poignant and hilarious results.
She lives in Oakland, California.
...........Readers Are Saying
- "I'm truly inspired by your strength and your ability to share your story through your talent in
writing. I'm touched by your deep love and devotion to both of your daughters. Thank you for
writing this book."
- Sheila C., Pleasant Hill, CA - "I loaned Swimming with Maya to my mom who was so taken with it that she suggested it to her
book club. So many people wanted to get together to talk about it they didn't have a member who
had a big enough house to hold them all. They had to rent a meeting room at a local dinner club
because there were 26 of them. She said that was the biggest group they had ever had."
- Diane B., Florida - "You led me thru your healing in such a deep and profound way and I thank you for sharing your
heart and soul. Blessings on your work with organ donation too!"
- .Judi F., Nevada City, CA - "I am a junior at a charter high school. I read your book Swimming with Maya this summer and
was so moved I read it three more times and decided to perform your work as a speech meant to
show audiences the facets of grief."
- Julie B., San Diego, CA - "I started to read the book - most of the time I read until 1 or 2 AM. It's so well written I almost
can't stop - it really is very touching and I feel completely involved. In German we say: Es ist
packend und sehr spannend."
- Maja M., Switzerland
Visit Eleanor on Facebook.