My first short story was written in the third grade and titled "Revenge of the Nerds." Spoiler: Nerds (the candy) got their revenge. I think I subconsciously knew the title had a twist, though I wasn't quite sure why.
Today I write short fiction, creative nonfiction and have a forthcoming novel called Coming Clean from Regal House Publishing (2024). Great writing, for me, might not make you feel good, but it makes you feel. Deep and dark is good. Dark humor is better. Writers I admire include Elizabeth Strout, Denis Johnson (I joke he was my uncle but that's a lie), and Jill McCorkle, whose story "Crash Diet" is so funny I laughed myself out of the Canton Public Library and all the way home.
I am a graduate of the MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte. My fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Massachusetts Review, Broad Street, Mississippi Review, Cincinnati Review, Story Quarterly, Gargoyle, Southwest Review and elsewhere. My essay, "Your Friend/My Friend, Ted," was included in The Best American Essays 2018, edited by Hilton Als.
By day I own a freelance business, Big Bad Words, and offer communications consulting, content creation and editing for businesses, as well as editorial support for creative writers looking to fine-tune their manuscripts. I also make art from Lake Michigan rocks and minerals. Check out Stoned, my Etsy store.
Home is Chicago with my husband and dog. Home is when I'm writing. I eat a lot of olives.
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