In the Long Ago, I worked many jobs: as a Burger King drive-thru order taker, a telemarketer, a drugstore cashier, a banquet server, a secretary, a receptionist, a restaurant hostess, an editorial assistant, a housecleaner, a public relations specialist, a fact checker, a research editor, a reporter, a newspaper editor, and more.

Always, I looked for the words. Words on nametags, words on French fry cartons, words on paper bags and plastic bags, on cash registers and computer screens and menu boards, words spoken through drive-thru windows, over landlines, down checkout lines, across kitchens and banquet halls and newsrooms.

In the Now, I split my time between editing the micro-journal Five Minutes, creative pursuits, and professional projects. I lead a monthly writing workshop, Carrot Cake Writers, and am a member of an additional workshop, Quartet. I’m also a graduate of Grub Street’s Novel Generator program, led by Marjan Kamali.

When not writing, I readreadread, help run the small nonprofit Clothing Connection, volunteer with the Salem Literary Festival, hike with my dog, nap with my cat, and goof off with my family and friends.