About Me
Photo Credit: Rachael Washburn
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My most recent work explores grief, the pandemic, and the political turmoil of the last few years. The currently unpublished work in my MA thesis, directed by poet and professor Jamaal May, investigates how myths and fairytales can be a vehicle to critique issues in contemporary society. I'm especially interested in the female gaze and the stories in which women have been punished both for looking and being looked upon (Lot's Wife, the Lady of Shalott, Eurydice, the myth of Cupid and Psyche, etc). My goal is to examine the way women's roles in stories have evolved, or stagnated, and to explore the power of our gaze.
I'm also passionate about the role of the arts in education and the ways in which incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into the curriculum can benefit students. My current research interests include empathy in education, particularly empathy as a teachable skill, and exploring the potential that reading, writing, and engaging with literature may have to help foster empathy. EDUCATION
Ohio State University - MFA Poetry (in progress, class of 2025) Wayne State University - MA Creative Writing ('22) Wayne State University - BA English Honors, minor in Music ('20) EXPERIENCE / SKILLS
Poetry & Songwriting + Lesson Planning + Collaborative Writing AWARDS / RECOGNITION
Tompkins Poetry Award - 2nd place, judged by Maureen Owen, 2022 (a WSU writing award) The Daniel Keyes Family Graduate Scholarship in Creative Writing (2020-21 Academic Year) Tompkins Poetry Award - Honorable Mention, judged by Camille Guthrie, 2020 (a WSU writing award)
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I find very intriguing your use of the fairytale in these works. You've kept a strong sense of the fairytale rhythm while interjecting yourself with comments, queries, suggestions, and even as a speaking character. This casts a whole new light on the tales with a new approach to a disclosure of the possibilities of their intent or where the stories might have gone internally. One of the elements that captivated me most in this series is your subtle use of humor that pokes out in a most wonderfully twisted manner."
-Maureen Owen, author of Erosion's Pull and Edges of Water, on reading my work: "Jack and the GMO Beanstalk (and Other Fairytale Poems)."
