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 issue ...

'' 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 w ...

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

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, 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 Yor ...

, and graduated from

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He worked at his father's firm, 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 The Grenfell Mission was a philanthropic organization that provided medical and social services to people in rural communities of northern Newfoundland and Labrador. It was founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in 1892 as a branch of The Royal National M ...

(a medical missionary station) at 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 ''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 The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...

. He was an editor for the

Office of War Information The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a United States government agency created during World War II. The OWI operated from June 1942 until September 1945. Through radio broadcasts, newspapers, posters, photographs, films and other ...

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 The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

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 Lawrence Millman (born January 13, 1948, in Kansas City, Missouri) is an adventure travel writer and mycologist from Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is the author of eighteen books, including ''Goodbye, Ice: Arctic Poems'', ''Fungipedia'', ''Our Li ...

, who wrote a short biographical remembrance in 2020. He said Merrick "looked to

Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and h ...

for guidance", and ''

Walden ''Walden'' (; first published in 1854 as ''Walden; or, Life in the Woods'') is a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part ...

'' 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