About Me
If it involves writing, chances are I’ve taught it. I have been a writing instructor at the college level for over ten years, and the most common courses I teach include introductory writing, composition for humanities and STEM fields, research writing, professional writing, and (…you guessed it) creative writing.
As a writer, instructor, and editor, I have found that the genuine pursuit of written expression—whether in the form of personal reflection, self-narrative, confessional poetry, or even that pesky English 101 research essay—must begin with an openness of perception, a curiosity to engage with the ideas that arise without judgement, as well as with a willingness to put linear decision-making on the side for a bit, allowing for something unexpected to arise. This type of inquisitiveness is certainly useful at the beginning of the creative process, where every idea has the potential to lead somewhere novel and problems can be viewed as possibilities; however, it has a place in all stages of development.
Editor
My background in education informs my approach as an editor, since working with students requires patience, encouragement, and empathy, along with the more technical aspects of writing craft. My freelance editing work has included a wide variety of contexts, from higher ed textbooks to writers seeking publication for the first time. Through these experiences, I have guided countless academic and creative writing projects to completion. Although the end goal of these projects can vary widely, my primary focus as an editor is to bring each writer’s unique vision into its fullest potential.
My main editorial endeavor is the art & literature website Wild Roof Journal, which I founded in 2020 to promote works of remarkable insight, nuance, and craft. The opportunity to engage with WRJ’s ever-growing creative community has been a wonderful source of inspiration, and I am grateful to be able to help support the arts in my own unique way! WRJ is designed to be a welcoming environment for artists and writers, and I take great care to present each contributor’s work to a larger audience.
Meditation Teacher
I received my mindfulness meditation teaching certification from Dharma Moon & Tibet House.
As an English professor, it’s probably not surprising that my interest in meditation began from reading books. Whether it was through counter-cultural classics like Alan Watts or Ram Dass, or through contemporary Buddhist teachers like Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg, I found a great depth and a striking practicality in the process of becoming familiar with one’s own mind. Ultimately, I found my own teacher and became inspired to pass along the meditation practice that I learned.
Since there are countless methods of meditation, and the phrase “being mindful” has become a popular expression, it’s important to be clear about what “mindfulness meditation” is within the specific context of my teaching. In my practice, I define mindfulness as learning to bring our attention to the present moment by focusing on our breath and seeing what arises without judgement or bias. It is not a mystical approach and there is no goal of transcendence. Rather, it is a direct, grounded, and stabilizing practice that we can return to day after day.
“The more we practice, the more we open, and the more we develop courage in our life. In meditation you never really feel that you ‘did it’ or that you’ve ‘arrived.’ You feel that you just relaxed enough to experience what’s always been within you.”
~Pema Chödrön
Wild Roof Journal
- Founder and editor in chief, wildroofjournal.com
The Closed Eye Open
- Art and poetry editor, theclosedeyeopen.com