ABOUT ME (even though it's mostly about YOU)
I’m a Word Nerd
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. I’ve taken many courses and workshops in editing and communication through the University of Minnesota, Professional Editors Network, and Editorial Freelancers Association. 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). You might even call me . . . the Word Whisperer!
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)
- American Mensa Life Member
- Professional Editors Network (PEN)--member, volunteer, and panelist and presenter on
- levels of editing
- editorial problems and pitfalls
- editorial boundary issues
- APA style
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
- First place in the 2013 CCE Haiku Contest
Portfolio and resume furnished on request
MY SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES
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QUOTES I LIKE
A recent Tweet from a very smart lady:
The Chicago Manual of Style:
"The word always in an alleged grammar rule is a sure sign that it’s bogus."
Stephen King:
"The road to hell is paved with adverbs."
Miles Davis:
"I always listen for what I can leave out."
Leonardo da Vinci:
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
Robert Frost:
"Butterflies...flowers that fly, and all but sing."