I hold three degrees in English from The Ohio State University. My doctoral work centered on folklore and ethnography; my dissertation analyzed identity formation among Civil Service employees.
As a staff member at Ohio State for 26 years, and at Cal Poly State University before that (1981-1983), I wrote in many formats, including curriculum development, newsletter and magazine design, annual reports, grant proposals, and speech writing. Yes, hack writing--I freely admit it. I also spent decades editing faculty journal articles and monographs, as well as student theses originating across the university.
On the other hand, teaching made me happy: as a lecturer at Ohio State from 1996-2011, my subjects included essay writing, introduction to folklore, folklore methodology, and the 19th Century American literature survey. I received excellent student reviews in each of my teaching terms.
My publication list is short, partly but not wholly because my teaching and workload along with family obligations over the decades consumed most of my time and energy. Scholar Mine, An Ohio State Love Story, recounts my marriage to historian Jose, our family, our travels, our successes and roadblocks in academe, and his struggle with lung cancer. My second memoir, Tomorrow, Long Ago, is complete; I'm currently looking for agent representation. In addition, I wrote and illustrated a children’s book for my grandchildren. Cute Fruits and Edgy Veggies is also being considered for publication.
Along with reading and writing, I'm a landscape designer, a dog lover, a workout queen, a solo traveler, a taker of calculated risks, and a friend who will keep your secrets.
