ABOUT ME*
I’m a Wordie
I’ve been in love with words and their beauty and power since I taught myself to read at age four, and soon after began winning spelling contests and writing poems and stories. I have a B.A. in English (with honors) and an A.B.D. (All But Dissertation) in social psychology/child development, and I’ve taken many courses and workshops in editing and communication. I'm the one to whom a lot of people turn when they need some words looked at, and I'm pretty good at it. I have a large vocabulary, a keen eye, and an ear for a nice turn of phrase and the just-right word. Good writing to me is like catnip to my kittycat. I love what I do, and I’m persnickety (but not pedantic).
I’m Experienced
I’ve been doing a variety of editing and proofreading for over twenty years, as well as writing effective promotion and publicity materials such as course catalog text, brochures, and web pages. I’m a creative writer too—poetry, stories, memoir, a newspaper column; and performance pieces for the Wild Yam Cabaret, the Minnesota Fringe, Balls Cabaret, West End Arts, and others. I’ve been a producer and performer for many years, and I often mentor aspiring storytellers and poets. My theater background ensures that I am always sensitive to the all-important. . . audience!
"Helping word artists make the leap to the page and the stage since 1995!"
And Versatile
You could call me a right-brain/left brain sort, conversant with a wide range of fields. My greatest area of expertise is the social sciences, especially personality and social psychology. I am also drawn to the culinary arts (I’m a foodie as well as a wordie), philosophy, spirituality, and self-help. However, I’m adventurous and I love to delve into new areas, so don’t hesitate to ask. I currently work in higher education administration and have been employed in management in both the profit and non-profit sectors. I can meet—and exceed—the communication standards of both education and business.
Though my professional work is well-grounded in business practice and education, as a creative writer myself, I am always delighted to assist novelists and other sorts of word artists. I have a special fondness for speculative and science fiction.
I live in St. Paul, Minnesota, and I enjoy working with local authors on local subjects. However, I also have fruitful collaborations with authors who hail from anywhere the Internet can reach and whose first language, in many cases, is other than English.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Communicators Forum, University of Minnesota
Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)
International Women's Writing Guild (IWWG)
Mensa
Professional Editors Network (PEN)
West End Arts, St. Paul, MN
HONORS and AWARDS
Minneapolis Committee on the Urban Environment (CUE) Arts Award, 1991
(for the Whittier Play Association)
Creative Women Inspiring Justice Award from the Minnesota Women's Consortium, 2006
(for the Wild Yam Cabaret)
First (and second) place winner in the 2011 CCE Six-Word Novel Contest
Portfolio and resume furnished on request
See my profile on LinkedIn!
*Even though this whole thing is mostly about you!