I was born in Wichita, Kansas, but being a "military brat," have lived in many places, among them Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, and most recently Orlando, Florida. I attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, after transferring from a small college in Vermont, where I had done my most of my English work, and received my B.A. I was invited to stay on at UTK and completed my M.A. and Ph. D. degrees. I have been at DSC since 1998.

I am an avid reader and sometimes have as many as three books going at one time. I love to write, craft, draw, sew, collect and make Native American decorations (being part Native American myself)--that is, of course, when I am not teaching, grading papers, writing reports, serving on committees, or holding office hours.