
My Story

Storytelling has always been part of my life. As a child, words washed over me as my mother read to me each night, embedding a love for the rhythm and flow of stories. On the weekends, my father tapped into his creativity weaving a tale about a friendly, one-eyed giant who lived in a forest and protected a beautiful princess from various foes.
This fertile beginning fueled my love of the written word and lead me through my education: a BS in Psychology with a minor in English (Belmont University); MA in English Language and Literature (Middle Tennessee State University); MFA in Writing (University of Nebraska).
Stories, fictional and real, became central themes as my life unfolded. Reading novels ignited a desire to travel. To see the places reflected in American and British literature. Different cultures to explore through fiction. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Harper Lee. Ernest Hemingway. Dickens. Shakespeare. The Bronte sisters.
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I taught English Literature and Composition at the college level in Dubuque, Iowa, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Bellevue, Nebraska. I worked as a journalist for the Minot Daily News, in Minot, North Dakota. I wrote feature articles, telling numerous stories that reflected people in the community. I enjoyed my students, the people I interviewed, and my colleagues throughout the years. I retired as an Assistant Professor and Director of the MFA in Creativity at Bellevue University, in Bellevue, Nebraska.
Travel adventures punctuated my years before retirement. One of our moves was to Saudi Arabia. Yes,
we lived there on two occasions, totaling six years. Saudi offered the perfect location for trips to Egypt, Bahrain, Thailand, and many countries in Europe. Cultural histories reflected tales of the past and the present. More stories. Fodder for the novels I now have time to write in retirement.
We still travel, but international travel has given way to hitting the road in our RV, lovingly nicknamed The Albatross, and our two rambunctious corgis. Still enjoying diverse people and places. Savoring each story.