I'm a writer & teacher living in Lake County, California. My stories, memoir & poetry have been published in various literary magazines over the years--I'm in love with flash fiction, and most recently, reading & writing the 100-word story. Tight writing is my thing. 

An East Coast native, I love mild winters, anything Jane Austen, and the raucous coast of Northern California. 

Why write?

Why teach?

As a kid, hardly anyone I knew spoke  about their feelings (undignified) or told the truth (dangerous). I survived a stifling world of silence. My solace was reading stories.  During my junior year, I fell in love with The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne was an incredibly strong female character, reserved, misunderstood and mysterious. What was behind her facade? 

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Growing up within others' silence wasn't a curse. Challenging, yes, but also incredibly motivating. I wouldn't be a writer or teacher without that experience. After thirty-something years, I still feel terrified by a blank page--can I really write that?--and at the same time, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to express myself. Every character I discover, whether I'm reading or writing, has a secret to tell, and as their story unfolds, I do too.

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My teaching is rooted in helping others discover their own voices. I'm particularly interested in empowering teenagers. Perhaps, like me, they find themselves in a world that doesn't want to hear who they are. I get it.  My job is to encourage students to break through any silences imposed on them, which sets us all free.