Hello, and thanks for checking out my bio!
Let me be completely honest: English wasn't my first path in life. Neither was college, for that matter. Once upon a time, I had plans to become a stunt person or fight choreographer! I grew up here in Erie and was heavily involved in the local martial arts community, holding a second-degree brown belt in a style that is part Shotokan Karate and part Kuntao Kung Fu. During the time in which I was participating in local tournaments and demonstrations, my friends and I did our best to choreograph Jackie Chan-style scenarios that we would perform, and the more we performed, the better we got; the better we got, the bigger I wanted them to be. So why not try to take this pro?
Well, sometimes life has other plans for us. . . . I was in a car accident that resulted in four fractured vertebrae. So I needed a plan B. Who knew that the plan B would turn out to be even better than plan A?!
I went to college not knowing what to do or where to start. I changed my major more than I changed my socks at the beginning! I eventually decided that I wanted to go to law school. One of my cousins is a lawyer, and he suggested that I major in English, as having a strong grasp on language, critical thinking, and argument would give me a foundation to build upon as I moved towards law school. But, alas, I was required to take a course in Shakespeare. That met at 8am. That I had to have at least a C in for it to count towards my major.
That semester, my professor showed more passion towards literature, and specifically Shakespeare, than I had ever seen before. Was I finally starting to understand this stuff? Was I actually starting to *gasp* like it? I stuck with English as my major, creative writing, to be exact, and I've never looked back.
After graduating from Penn State Behrend with my creative writing degree, I moved to Wichita, Kansas to study Shakespeare during my Master's program. I've taught at the college and university level since 2005 in places such as Kansas and Massachusetts as well as several colleges and universities here in Pennsylvania.
I'll read anything I can get my hands on. I still have a deep love for Shakespeare, though my interests have broadened since that semester that sparked this particular journey for me. My favorite writers tend to be those who I feel capture uniquely American experiences: Steinbeck and Hemingway immediately come to mind. In recent years, though, I've been drawn to those writers who appear at the outset of our American literary tradition: Hawthorne, Poe, Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Whitman, Melville, and others. I'm especially fond of Poe, and I've been delving more deeply into his life stories in addition to more fully exploring his actual compositions.
Beyond reading, I also love writing! I've written and published both poetry and prose over the years, and I've even been lucky enough to win a contest ot two. Regarding fiction, I'm working on a collection of short stories based on my grandfather's experiences in WW2, though I also write haiku and free verse poetry.
When I'm not spending time on literary pursuits, you can find me in the RWC, volunteering at the Maritime Museum or with DCNR at Presque Isle and Erie Bluffs, or playing Magic: The Gathering and other card games.
If you see me around campus, let's chat!