I contain multitudes.
I grew up in Northeast Ohio, closer to Akron but with a deeper affinity for Cleveland. After completing a B.A. in English from Kenyon College and an M.A. in English from Case Western Reserve University, I moved to Austin, Texas.
In Texas, I focused on developing my life as a poet while also at various points pursuing dance, kung fu, and yoga. I also dabbled in fiction and playwriting before committing to an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Unfortunately, my M.F.A. experience ended up destroying my creative life as I knew it, and COVID-19 didn’t help. However, during those early days of isolation, I found myself committing to the practice of haiku. I’d been a dabbler in haiku and haibun throughout my poetic life, but the quarantine months allowed me to develop the observation and focus that haiku requires. (It was also a welcome respite from constant teaching via Zoom.)
As the quarantine period ended, I continued to focus on haiku while also pursuing a certification in traditional Pilates (another discipline I’d come to love during COVID). I joined the Austin Haiku Study Group and began to relish the network of poets I was meeting both in Austin and online.
In June of 2022, after 14 years in Texas, I took the plunge and moved with my partner to St. Louis, Missouri. We ended up settling in the Soulard neighborhood, a place that feels like a true home. In addition to my full-time job, I teach Pilates out of my home studio, and edit the Soulard Renaissance quarterly newspaper. I’m also studying to become a tea sommelier through the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada.
Of course, haiku remains the touchstone of my days. I currently serve as the newsletter editor for the Haiku Society of America and work as a social media volunteer for the Haiku North America Conference. My first haiku chapbook, Postcards from Texas, was published by Cuttlefish Books in 2023; I have a second manuscript in progress. In addition, I have two haiku-based passion projects. The first is The Culinary Saijiki, a scholarly project exploring the relationship between food, seasons, and haiku. The second is Haiku Girl Summer, an online publication that runs from June 1st to August 31st and publishes women-identifying haijin.