I've written since I could scribble ”no" on my mother's immaculate kitchen wall. I've never stopped writing--a few pages here, an entire story there--but for the majority of my adult life, writing couldn't be a priority. I raised a family and taught, something I did well (for what it's worth, in 2006 I was in Who's Who Among America's Teachers).
In 2010, the moment to write full time arrived. I exchanged classroom for a tiny, poorly lit storage room destined to become a darkroom. I dragged boxes of STUFF to the garage, rolled in a desk and creaky office chair, and settled into a space with a window that natural light couldn't seem to find. I was determined to become a Real Writer.
My professional bio includes a B.A. in English and Art from University and an M.A. in English Lit from Middlebury College (1995). Under list of jobs you'll find university publications editor, admissions officer, and world and dramatic literature teacher. The résumé details my love of learning: classes and workshops--in theater, film, art, writing, and animation. My passion for collaboration, exchanging ideas and working in community: film festivals and theater companies, as well as sixteen years as an information guru for the Sundance Film Festival.
As for accomplishments, to be honest I'm most proud of the fact that I rode Coney Island's Cyclone thirteen times in under an hour without vomiting, fainting, or disowning the sibling who goaded me into it. Yes, I can brag: I've been a quarter, a semi- or a finalist in a number of competitions and festivals. A few notables include: the Nicholls Academy Fellowship, Francis Coppola's American Zoetrope, and the New York Film & Screenwriting Festival. I
I also write narrative fiction and in 2021 one of my short stories was published in Stanford's fiction anthology. Three more have been published since in other anthologies. I'm currently compiling twenty of my short stories to be published this coming winter.
Today I recognize I'm a Real Writer, one with a universal and a unique worldview who has something to say. I hope you're compelled to listen.