MOTEL RITUALS
I am currently seeking representation for my debut novel MOTEL RITUALS, which has been described as Pan’s Labyrinth set in a series of cheap motels. Read the query letter under Writing.
About me
I am interested in creative writing and all things scientific. I completed my MFA in fiction at Bennington College in January 2016. I teach Writing in Maryland.
I write fiction and poetry. I also enjoy illustrating, playing guitar, and throwing straws for my cat to chase. Some of my illustrations can be found at the bottom of this page. Current writing projects can be found under "Writing" at the top.
Thank you to my friends, family, and teachers--especially Alice Mattison, David Gates, Bret Anthony Johnston, Rachel Pastan, Amy Hempel, Sally Shivnan, Simon Stacey, Suzanne Braunschweig, and the Daedalus Writers' Workshop.
Awards
2022 Teaching Award, Maryland Association for Adult, Community, and Continuing Education (MAACCE)
2012 Third Place, University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s First Annual Poetry Slam
2012 Malcolm C. Braly and Bartleby Fiction Awards
2011 Malcolm C. Braly Fiction Award
Member, Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society
Member, Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
Member, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society
Member, UMBC Honors College
Presentations
“Zen and the Art of Test-Taking.” Presented at Frederick Community College, February 2020
“Professional Development: Teaching Reading.” Presented at Frederick Community College, February 2020
“Effective Essay Writing for GED Students.” Presented at Frederick Community College, January 2019
“Cracking the Code: Reading College Textbooks.” Presented at Frederick Community College, March 2017.
“Narrative Distance (or Things I Found Interesting but Didn’t Know How to Explain—at Least, Not Right Away).”
Presented at Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont, January 2016
Publications
Digital Literacy Framework for Adult Learners: Instructor implementation Guide - MD Dept. of Labor (Contributor)
August 2020
"THe Illustrator" -- Excerpt from novella published in The end of the world, Inaugural issue of Bennington College's Literary journal
January 2016
An excerpt from my novella "The Illustrator" appeared in the first issue of Bennington College's revamped literary magazine The End of the World.
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"Music for Parasites," "In the Desert," "Sediment of a dream," "No time to Kill," "Arrival in the witching hour," "lantern fish: or, how I survived visit to the farthest corner of the world"
The short stories listed above have appeared in Bartleby, the literary arts journal for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, between 2010 and 2013. "Music for Parasites" and "In the Desert" won the University's Malcolm C. Braly Award for Fiction, and "In the Desert" also won the Bartleby Award for Fiction.
Some Favorites
Cormac McCarthy
Richard Matheson
Joyce Carol Oates
Truman Capote
Toni Morrison
Kazuo Ishiguro
Stephen King
John Cheever
John Steinbeck
Awar
Education
Bennington College
MFA Fiction
Graduated January 2016
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
B.S. Environmental Science
Graduated December 2012
Awards
& ORganizations
2012 Malcolm C. Braly and Bartleby Fiction Awards
2011 Malcolm C. Braly Fiction Award
Third Place, 2012 UMBC Homecoming Poetry Slam
Member, UMBC Honors College
Member, Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society
Member, Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
Member, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society
