This Buckhannon native is a highly accomplished novelist and short story writer whose work often explores themes of family, love, and the complexities of life in Appalachia, especially in West Virginia.

Her extensive bibliography includes six short story collections and five novels. Her short stories, known for their deep character studies and exploration of human relationships, have been featured in publications such as Esquire, Harper's, and Granta. Her novels, including Machine Dreams (1984), Shelter (1994), and Lark and Termite (2009), demonstrate her ability to weave complex narratives around personal and family struggles. The latter novel, Lark and Termite, earned a nomination for the National Book Award, cementing Phillips’ place as an influential voice in contemporary American literature.

Phillips's 2013 novel Quiet Dell, based on the chilling true story of the 1931 murders by serial killer Harry Powers, marked another significant contribution. She has also earned numerous accolades for her writing, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the O. Henry Award, and a Sue Kaufman Award for First Fiction for her collection Black Tickets. In 2023, Phillips released Night Watch, her first novel in a decade. Set in the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum after the Civil War, it earned her the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.