Elise Matthesen (née Krueger; born 1960) is an American essayist, journalist, poet, and fiction writer (primarily of science fiction and fantasy; she is an active supporter of the interstitial arts movement), an award-winning maker of art jewelry, and a longtime bisexual rights activist. For 13 years, she was the companion of the late John M. Ford, until his death in September 2006.Clute, John. "Obituary: John M. Ford: Science-fiction writer and poet", The Independent 30 September 2006 She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is a member of the First Universalist Church there.
Early life Matthesen was born in Wisconsin.
Career She is an anorexia nervosa survivorMatthesen, Elise "Anorexia" in Women en Large: Images of Fat Nudes (Laurie Toby Edison & Debbie Notkin); Books in Focus, 1994 as well as a speaker, facilitator, and activist on issues of body acceptance, bisexuality,Matthesen, Elise "Female-to-Elf?" Keynote speech BECAUSE Conference April 2000 St Paul MinnesotaMatthesen, Elise "What's So Funny About Bisexual Separatism?" Keynote speech, International Conference on Bisexuality, June 1994, New York CityMatthesen, Elise "Keynote Speakers" 2016 BECAUSE Conference April 2016 Minneapolis, Minnesota polyamory, and issues of self-esteem. She was one of the original contributors to the groundbreaking 1991 bisexual anthology Bi Any Other Name, has written for local LGBTQ magazine Lavender, and is an active member of science fiction fandom.
In 1993, Jane Yolen published Matthesen's short story "The Stone Girl" in the Xanadu anthology, together with works by Tanith Lee and Ursula K. Le Guin. In 2008, Catherine Lundoff published Matthesen's short story "Focus of Desire" in an anthology of lesbian ghost stories.
Awards In 2009, Matthesen was a World Fantasy Award nominee for the Special Award - Non-Professional "for setting out to inspire and for serving as inspiration for works of poetry, fantasy, and SF over the last decade through her jewelry-making and her 'artist's challenges'."World Fantasy Awards: Nominees
In 2020, she won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist, the first artist in a 3-D medium to do so.
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