Elliott Merrick (May 11, 1905 – April 22, 1997) was an American writer best known for his memoirs about

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

. He was also an editor, teacher, farmer and sailor. In addition he wrote for magazines, including ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' and ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

''. Elliott Tucker Merrick III was born into an affluent family in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As ...

, and graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University. He worked at his father's firm, NL Industries, The National Lead Company, for a year before deciding he wanted a more outdoor-oriented life. He took a job as a teacher at the remote Grenfell Mission (a medical missionary station) at Indian Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Indian Harbour, Labrador. He then transferred tonearby North West River where he met his soon to be wife, Kate, a nurse from Australia. He wrote about his time there in ''Frost and Fire'' (1939). He penned Kate's memoir, based on her memories of Labrador, titled ''Northern Nurse'' (1942). The book was quite successful spending time on New York Times Bestseller List, ''The New York Times'' Bestseller List. His first book ''True North'' (1933), is a diary about living in Goose Bay, Labrador. He wrote a memoir ''Green Mountain Farm'' (1948) about farm life in northern Vermont, where he lived with his wife and children during the depression of the 1930s. He taught English at the University of Vermont. He was an editor for the Office of War Information and worked with the merchant marine during World War II. These experiences informed his book ''Passing By'' (1947). He was later employed by the United States Forest Service in Asheville, North Carolina for 22 years, working as a science editor and publications officer. After retirement he spent time with his wife sailing, from which was published posthumously ''Cruising at Last: Sailing the East Coast'' (2003). During the last years of his life Merrick was close friend with the outdoor writer Lawrence Millman, who wrote a short biographical remembrance in 2020. He said Merrick "looked to Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau for guidance", and ''Walden'' was his "bible". Merrick once said, "Nature, love it or leave it, is all we've got."

Works

Source: Fiction
''From This Hill Look Down''
(1934) * ''Ever the Wind Blows'' (1936) * ''Frost and Fire'' (1939) * ''Passing By'' (1947) * ''The Long Crossing and Other Labrador Stories'' (1992) Nonfiction
''True North''
(1933) * ''Northern Nurse'' (1942) * ''Green Mountain Farm'' (1948) * ''Cruising at Last: Sailing the East Coast'' (2003)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrick, Elliott 1905 births 1997 deaths American writers People of the United States Office of War Information