LOIS METZGER

Lois Metzger is a firm believer in the philosophy "books change lives." It was while growing up in Queens, New York, and reading incessantly that Ms. Metzger decided that she wanted to become a writer.

She shared her passion with participants at The Door in Tribeca and at University Settlement Society in the Lower East Side from May 7 - May 11, 2001 as part of the National Book Foundation's Settlement House Author Residency Program.

Ms. Metzger's work has appeared in a number of prominent magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, The Nation, The North American Review, Omni, and The New Yorker, where she worked for five years.

Even though she started her career writing for adults, Ms. Metzger quickly switched to writing for young adults. In an interview, Ms Metzger was quoted as saying,"It's a fascinating age to write for."

She is the author of the acclaimed novels Barry's Sister, a Parents Magazine Best Children's Book for the Year; Ellen's Case, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age; and her lastest Missing Girls, a Junior Library Guild Selection.

It typically takes Ms. Metzger three years to complete a book because, she explains, "she rewrites it four or five times before she knows what it's about." For each book she does extensive research.

She is currently working on a novella and a collection of short stories.

Ms. Metzger currently lives in New York City with husband, writer Tony Hiss, and their eight-year-old son Jacob.