About Me / I began life as an expatriate and never really got over it. I've lived on four continents with five dogs, fell in love in college and got "stuck" in the cold Midwest, and find joy in creating meals that take all day to prepare.

 

I also teach English composition and film and, from 2005 to 2013, I directed the Literacy Center at Niles West High School. I hold a B.A. in English and Creative Writing, an M.A.T. in English Education and a Ph.D. in English Composition and Applied Linguistics. My research and policy interests center around composition theory & pedagogy; collaborative learning paradigms; and metalearning & self-evaluation/assessment.

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My first collection of poetry, Ancient Memories, was put together rather hastily for my mother who was dying of lung cancer. She said she wanted to see me in print. It is a collection of poems from the past 40 years.