I am a storyteller.
As a kid, I read every biography I could get my hands on. Now I write historical fiction novels that try to make particular moments in history feel as real and full of possibilities as today. I studied English at Williams College and poetry at the University of Minnesota (MFA). When I’m not recreating a world that was, I’m holding up my microphone for others for others to tell me their stories, then transforming those for radio. That’s how I encountered such delightful stories as the Hmong hiphop artist who performed with his grandma or how Wanda Gag transformed the children’s picture book.
I’m a weekend host at Minnesota Public Radio, and my weekly features (“Art Hounds” and “Ask a Bookseller”) put me in touch with creatives across the state and indie booksellers across the country. My published work includes Powerful Ideas in Teaching: Creating Environments Where Students Want to Learn (co-written with Mickey Kolis) and Glances Back, a poetry chapbook. I live near St. Paul with my husband and daughters.
Check out a sample of my poetry here:
"Snip" (for the 146 victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire)